Electing to bat first, Australia were well served by most of their batsmen, though none could convert their good starts into a big knock.

The Aussie run charge was also halted to some extent by young Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who returned with figures of three for 41 from his 10 overs. In fact, every time Australia threatened to take the game away from India, he came up with a wicket.

It was only the sensible approach of Bevan, who yet again underlined his credentials as one of the best batsmen in this brand of cricket, and late flourishes by Damien Martyn (30) and Shane Warne (19 off 12 balls) that enabled Australia to fashion a perfect finish to their innings.

Opener Adam Gilchrist (25) and Tom Moody (39) also did their bit for Australia but it was only in the final fewovers that the Aussies were really on top.

On a wicket helping the spinners, Anil Kumble (1-57) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (1-52) proved expensive today.

India got an early breakthrough when they had opener Mark Waugh (16) run out in the seventh over, with the total at 33.

Having played Venkatesh Prasad to Kumble at mid-off, Waugh set out for a run. But Gilchrist hesitated and Waugh failed to beat Kumble's direct hit to the non-striker's end. Waugh had settled down and was stroking the ball well when he fell.

India had another success when Gilchrist got out trying to force the pace. He had started with a flourish, straight driving Prasad and playing a smashing overhead drive off Harvinder, which crashed into the ropes.

It was the introduction of Harbhajan in the eighth over that checked the galloping Aussie run rate. The off-spinner put the brakes on the scoring with some good, tight bowling. He forced Gilchrist to take risks and the batsman perished trying to improvise, his lofted shot going straightto Kanitkar at mid-off. His 25 came off 29 balls and had two fours. Australia were 46 for two at that stage. New man Moody took over from Gilchrist and he immediately went about the task of scoring runs at a steady rate. He used his feet well against the spinners, clouting straight sixes with superb timing off both Harbhajan and Kanitkar.

Thanks to his free-flowing knock of 39 off just 35 balls, the Aussies were able to score at five runs per over.

Moody's dismissal came quite against the run of play when he top edged a sweep off Harbhajan for Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin to take a good running catch at backward square leg.

At 110 for three in the 21st over, the Aussies seemed to be justified in their decision to bat first.

The Moody-Ponting stand for the third wicket produced 64 runs at almost a run a ball and it gave the innings the much needed momentum.

Thereafter, Ponting and Bevan kept up the good work. They kept the scoreboard moving, finding the gaps and running well betweenwickets.

That there was just one four in Ponting's essay shows how much he concentrated on digging in his heels firmly. When he did try to step up the charge, he only succeeded in holing out to Kumble at deep mid-wicket off Kanitkar.

It was now Bevan's turn to anchor the innings towards the finish. He lost his captain Steve Waugh (8) cheaply, bowled off an inside edge by Harvinder.

Darren Lehmann (12), too, left quickly, playing on to Harbhajan, but the Aussies still had the batting depth to arrest the decline in fortunes.

Scoreboard

Australia: Mark Waugh run out 16, Adam Gilchrist c Kanitkar b Harbhajan 25, Ricky Ponting c Kumble b Kanitkar 48, Tom Moody c Azharuddin b Harbhajan 39, Michael Bevan c Jadeja b Kumble 58, Steve Waugh b Harvinder 8, Darren Lehmann b Harbhajan 12, Damien Martyn run out 30, Shane Warne c Harbhajan b Prasad 19, Mike Kasprowicz not out 0,

Extras (lb 2, w 7): 9.

Total (for nine wickets in 50 overs): 264

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-46, 3-110, 4-156, 5-173,6-196, 7-227, 8-259, 9-264

Bowling: Prasad 8-0-41-1, Harvinder 8-0-50-1, Harbhajan 10-0-41-3, Kumble 10-0-57-1, Kanitkar 10-0-52-1, Tendulkar 4-0-21-0