Aussies crush India by 106 runs in Warmup match

ADELAIDE: Explosive centuries by David Warner and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia gallop to their latest comfortable win over a lacklustre India, this time in a World Cup warm-up match at Adelaide Oval.

Warner's innings provided the platform for Maxwell to launch from at the back end of the innings in a fixture that was not an official ODI. Less fluent was the acting captain George Bailey, who played in fits and starts during his 44.

India's reply was notable only for a return to runs from Shikhar Dhawan, who showed improved balance and intent while making 59, and another useful innings from Ajinkya Rahane.

Rohit Sharma's return from a hamstring injury was brief, ending when he snicked a well-pitched ball from Josh Hazlewood to Aaron Finch at slip. Virat Kohli started fluently on a pitch that showed many of the characteristics of a block of concrete, but dragged Mitchell Starc onto the stumps before he could threaten further.

Dhawan and Rahane looked at ease during a stand of 104 that momentarily had India looking like they could make a tilt at the distant target, but both delivered catches to mid-on while trying to clear Bailey's field and the rest of the middle order melted away - Starc's long arms pulling in a super catch to dismiss Dhoni.

A pesky union between Ravindra Jadeja and the impressive Ambati Rayudu served mainly to give a crowd of 13,909 something to cheer about.

Warner and Finch had made a sound start after Bailey had won the toss, rattling to 62 inside nine overs before Finch shovelled Stuart Binny to mid-on. Shane Watson also made a start before miscuing an attempted pull off Mohit Sharma, who has replaced Ishant Sharma in India's Cup squad.

India's bowlers struggled to contain throughout, apart from a phase in which R Ashwin and Axar Patel put some clamp on the scoring by tying down Bailey. Warner's hundred arrived in 80 balls, though he never appeared to be rushing or straining for effect. A well-flighted delivery from Axar eventually did for him, but not before Australia had been given the ideal base for later acceleration.

Upon passing 50, Maxwell moved into full destruction mode, clattering the bowlers with something like impunity and rendering MS Dhoni powerless to protect the boundaries. By the time he retired on 122 from 57 deliveries, Maxwell's last 29 balls had reaped 88 runs.

India's fielding and bowling gave the impression that they were not fresh for a new tournament but jaded by more than 70 days without a win of any kind in Australia.