Kane's maiden Fifer and India's spectacular collapse - Aussies thrash 'duck' Dhoni's India for the fourth consecutive time

Paceman Kane Richardson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to script India’s spectacular collapse and bowl Australia to a 25-run victory in the high-scoring fourth One-day international on Wednesday.

Three batsmen struck centuries in the 671-run match between the world’s top two one-day teams but it was Richardson’s (5-68) incisive bowling that clinched the contest, while also earning him the man-of-the-match award.

Chasing 349 for victory, India were cruising at 277 for one before losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs to succumb to their fourth successive defeat in the five-match series.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106) featured in a 212-run stand for the visitors before the wheels came off India’s chase at Canberra’s Manuka Oval.

Dhawan registered his ninth ODI century and Kohli scored his second consecutive hundred but India lost three wickets in 11 balls for the addition of one run that derailed them.

For them, in-form Ajinkya Rahane came out to bat despite a split webbing of his fingers, but could score only two as India were all out for 323 in the final over.

India captain MS Dhoni took the burden of responsibility for a traumatic defeat, admitting it was his wicket so soon on the heels of Dhawan’s departure that changed the complexion of the match.

“I think it was my wicket because that specifically is my role in the team from that kind of position to make sure we finish off the game well,” Dhoni said. “So my wicket really was the turning point at that point of time, we lost quite a few there but it was my wicket because according to the role and responsibility that everybody has, that specifically is my role.

“That’s what pressure does to you. A few of them have not played much international cricket, so at times it seems when you’re batting in the middle playing that big shot is the right thing to do, but slowly and with more games under your belt you realise that’s a time you have to carry on some kind of a partnership, and once you get used to the pace and bounce of the wicket then you can play the big shots.

“Hopefully they will learn out of this, it’s the first few games they’ve played and maybe it’s the first time in their career that they were under some kind of pressure. Hopefully they’re learning,” Dhoni said.

Earlier, Aaron Finch struck his seventh hundred in a blistering opening partnership of 187 with David Warner to power Australia to 348 for eight wickets.

Finch smashed a run-a-ball 107 while Warner fell on 93 from 92 deliveries as the hosts continued to make merry against India’s toothless bowling attack after opting to bat first.

Australia had chased down each Indian target to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and the tourists’ battered bowlers did little better after finally getting the chance to bowl first.

Warner, who missed the last two matches due to the birth of his second child, started off with a maiden against Umesh Yadav but soon hit his stride with three fours in an over against seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Yadav also conceded three boundaries in the next over against the diminutive left-hander as Australia raced to 50 in the seventh over.

Finch was equally destructive and a fierce straight drive from the right-hander off fast bowler Ishant Sharma (4-77) hit umpire Richard Kettleborough on the shin, forcing the official off the field.

Finch mistimed a pull to be dismissed eight overs after Warner had played Ishant on to his stumps.

Australia captain Steven Smith (51) and all-rounders Mitchell Marsh (33) and Glenn Maxwell (41) chipped in with some quick runs. Sydney hosts the fifth and final one-dayer on Saturday.

Dhoni denies Indian batsmen are selfish

India captain MS Dhoni rejects claims that his batsmen have been 'milestone driven' in the ODI series against Australia

Have India's batsmen been guilty of putting self above team in the ongoing ODI series? MS Dhoni rejects the idea outright but Glenn Maxwell feels it is no secret that "some people are milestone driven". Dhoni lamented his side's sloppy fielding and inconsistent bowling after they suffered a three-wicket loss at the MCG on Sunday night.
However, pundits have also been critical of the side's supposedly sluggish batting in the series.

India have posted totals of 3-309, 8-308 and 6-295, but many feel they could have all been bigger totals if the tourists had attacked more in the middle overs.

Dhoni became defensive when asked if the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had batted selfishly while approaching tons. "No, certainly not. I don't think so," Dhoni said.
"Don't ask me to elaborate, the statistics are with you."

Maxwell was more forthright when asked about the approach of some of India's batsmen when three figures beckoned.

"They were probably just making sure they got to a milestone. Some people are milestone driven, some people aren't," he said.
"If you're milestone driven and it means that much to you, then go for it. "But it's not been something that's really driven me too much. Each to their own." Maxwell added it would be wrong to criticise India after a much-improved performance with bat and ball in Melbourne.

"They played really well today. I thought everything clicked for them on a pretty difficult wicket," he said. Dhoni was frustrated to have already lost the five-match series and put the heat on his pacemen after losses in Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne.
 "There will be conflict of interest if I start reviewing my performance ... as the skipper," he said.

"You have to see that more than the series win - what really is happening. "What are the segments where we are lacking and where we can improve as a team because it is not about the leader. "It's the fast bowlers, how at times they give away those easy boundaries and that in turn puts a lot of pressure."

Dhoni suggested a "lack of concentration" was behind some terrible fielding errors that proved decisive in the tight MCG contest. "When your best fielders make mistakes you can't blame it on fielding practice," he said.

Some players play for milestones but not me : Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell starred in Australia’s 3-wicket win today with his a 96-run innings at the MCG. His match-winning knock gave Australia their third consecutive win and ensured another series triumph. However, Maxwell’s post-match comments added salt to India’s wounds.

He said that some of the players are milestones driven when he was asked about Matthew Hayden’s comments that Indian players slow when are closer to a milestone.

“Some people are milestone-driven,” the Australian all-rounder responded. “I think they are probably making sure they get to a milestone,” Maxwell added to his response in the post-match press conference.

The former Australian opener, Hayden had said that players from the subcontinent play for “personal landmarks”.

“In one-day cricket, if you get to 70 or 80, you can obviously get a hundred by just batting carefully but we [Australia] just don’t do that. It affects a batsman’s statistics but we just don’t go for those personal marks.

“Countries like India suffer from that. We back ourselves against those countries because they’ll get two or three players in the 70s and beyond and they’ll be eyeing off that personal landmark and it will cost their side 40 or 50 runs as a result. Pretty much all the sub-continental sides are like that,” Hayden had said.

Indian batsmen have broken many ODI records this series. In all, they have three centuries, two by Rohit Sharma and one by Virat Kohli in as many ODIs played so far in the series. But, unfortunately on all three occasions, India failed to win the match have received a back lash for that.

Maxwell later talked about his own batting approach and said that it doesn’t matter to him whether he looks “attractive” or not while scoring runs.

“I don’t want to be an attractive batsmen; I just want to get the job done,” he said when asked how he goes about his business in the middle. I always keep thinking who they have left to bowl, who I can target,” the unorthodox batsmen said.