India end innings at 258/9

India end innings at 258/9

Immediately after Tendulkar's wicket, the Indian innings seemed like losing its way when Michael Clarke removed in-form batsman Rohit Sharma for 2. He bowled it around outside off, the batsman drove it on the up, where Symonds did the rest by snapping a sharp catch. India were 209/5, when Sharma departed.

There was ecstacy in the reverse-sweep he played in the 80s - a shot we dont see often from Tendulkar that late in the innings. And, there was agony - when he tried to come down the track, but could only manage to push the ball to short mid-on, where Ponting arrived in time to take a brilliant diving catch. Tendulkar went for 91, just nine runs short of a second consecutive hundred. India, 205/4.

Yuvraj Singh went in the same way he came into bat. A six off the second ball he faced showed signs of an innings that could change the course of the game. But, it only flattered to deceive. While Yuvraj was in the middle, the innings developed a gusto-type momentum to it - with the Australians looking totally down. Yuvraj stroked intermittent boundaries to apply more pressure and then a huge impulsive stroke for six before departing two balls later, trying to hit one out of the park - came on slow to the batsman and holing out to Hayden for a run-a-ball 38.

Michael Clarke struck an important blow for Australia when he removed Gautam Gambhir early for 15. It was tossed outside the off-stump by Clarke. Gambhir came down the track to clear long-on and drove it very hard - but could only manage to find the waiting Mitchell Johnson, who completed the catch. India were 121/2 when Gambhir departed.

Robin Uthappa threw his wicket away to Stuart Clark after getting off to a good solid start when he got a leading edge that went straight into the hands of James Hopes, who made no mistake in grabbing a straightforward, easy catch. Uthappa departed for 30.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar reached his fifty when he dabbed one down to third man off Clark. The 70-ball fifty was highly composed of a larger percentage of boundaries, which he began stroking once he got his eyes in. Some of the usual shots were back in action - the straight drives, the cover-drives, the dabs over third man. He looked extremely confident, keen on giving his innings the momentum it needed to put a competitive score.

Bouyed by their win against Australia in the first final at Sydney, India began the second contest on a rather sedate note - with both batsmen preferring to be cautious than adventurous. The first boundary of India's innings came as late as the seventh over, when Uthappa helped Lee's ball on its way to the fence. Tendulkar's approach was also similar - to see the new ball through and then he opened himself. A superb baseball-like straight pull welcomed Stuart Clark into the attack. India reached their fifty in 79 balls.

Earlier in the day, Indian captain MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat in the second final of the triangular one-day cricket series against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Australia made one change to the team that lost the first final Sunday by six wickets, bringing in medium pacer Stuart Clark for spinner Brad Hogg.

India were forced into one change, with pace bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth brought into the side for the injured Ishant Sharma.

India also retained 19-year-old leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. He bowled well in the first final, but the Sydney Cricket Ground is more suited to spin bowling than the pacier Gabba wicket.

If Australia win this match, the series will go to a decider in Adelaide on Friday.