Smith, Bailey ton Gives Australia 1-0 Lead

Australia captain falls in final over after imperious 149 gives Australia a 1-0 series win

Perth: Steve Smith (149) and George Bailey (112) scores centuries as Australia beat India by five wickets in the first ODI at the WACA on Tuesday, to takes 1-0 lead in the five match series.

Australia captain falls in final over after imperious 149 gives Australia a 1-0 series win. He is the Man of the Match.

India's reluctance to accept the Decision Review System in its current form cost them what would have been a match-changing wicket early in Australia's innings.

The home side were in trouble at 2-21 in chasing 310 for victory when India's fielders appealed for a leg-side catch from George Bailey's first ball. A appeal from Indian skipper MS Dhoni may have contributed to the not out decision from umpire Richard Kettleborough, but replays showed a clear deflection from Bailey's glove.

Bailey continued on finishing with 112 and sharing a 242-run stand with captain Steve Smith as Australia chased down the target with four balls to spare.

He was brilliantly supported by Steve Smith, whose fifth ODI ton came from just 97 balls in front of a raucous crowd of almost 15,000 fans. The skipper finished with a career-best 149 from 135 balls, falling with just two runs needed for victory.

It's not often you post an unbeaten 171 in a losing side, but that was Rohit Sharma's fate today. The opener hit 13 fours and seven sixes in a 163-ball innings, his ninth ODI century and his fourth against Australia.

The right-hander now averages 68.46 from 18 innings against the World Champion, while his performance today boosted his average as an opener against all nations to 52.28.

He also broke the 36-year-old record held by Viv Richards for the highest ODI score against Australia on their home turf, surpassing the West Indian legend's 153 scored in December 1979.

Australian first-gamers Joel Paris and Scott Boland received their caps from 1987 World Cup winner Bruce Reid before play, but the thrill of making their international debuts quickly faded once Rohit and Kohli got into their work.

It's amazing to think that Indian star Virat Kohli, who is rapidly building an ODI resume they could eventually rival that of the great Sachin Tendulkar, averaged just 15 from seven matches against Australia in Australia before today.

The 27-year-old put made a marked improvement on that record today, falling just nine runs short of what would have been his 24th ODI century. The right-hander struck nine fours and a six in his 97-ball innings, bringing up his 58th score of 50 or more in ODI cricket with a tremendous swivel pull off Boland that easily sailed over the fence at fine leg.

A maiden international wicket evaded Australia's two debutants today, but Indian first-gamer Barinder Sran took just nine balls to grab his first at the top level. And what a spectacular way to do it, the left-armer taking a superb return catch to remove Aaron Finch for just 8.

A promising boxer in his younger years, Sran landed another blow when he removed David Warner in his next over to have Australia on the ropes early in their run chase. And the debutant even had the confidence to give the Aussie opener a send-off!

Brief scores
India - 3 for 309 (Rohit 171*, Kohli 91)
Australia - 5 for 310 (Smith 149, Bailey 112, Sran 5-63)
Result - Australia won by 5 wickets
MOM - Steven Smith (Australia)