En route to his fifth ODI century, Smith smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes while Bailey brought up his third hundred, smashing seven fours and two sixes.
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Smith and Bailey raised 50-run stand soon, and it turned into 100 in no time.
Bailey was lucky to survive an appeal for caught behind on the first ball he faced with television replays confirming Bran’s delivery brushing his glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Despite India’s loss yesterdays, Indian fans still had a reason to be happy as they were treated by an awesome batting display by Rohit “The Hitman” Sharma.
Steve Smith made 149 as Australia beat India by five wickets in the first one-day global in Perth.
In a tricky chase, Australia lost Aaron Finch (8) as early as in the third over with Barinder Sran (3-56) holding a catch off his own bowling to claim his maiden worldwide wicket.
George Bailey and Steve Smith then got together and slowly re-built the innings for Australia. With no DRS in play, India had nowhere else to appeal when umpire Richard Kellenborough ruled Bailey not out. Australians’ strength is in their pace bowlers and they are going in with their strengths.
Rohit then reached his fifty off 63 balls in the 20th over while Kohli brought up his 35th ODI half-century off 61 balls in the 32nd over. Hazlewood test Dhawan with a short-pitch stuff but the Indian opener top-edges one to Mitchell Marsh at long leg. Dhawan was walking back with just 9 runs to his name.
Bailey eventually holed out into the deep off Ravichandran Ashwin (2-68) and Glenn Maxwell (6) departed in similar fashion, but by that stage an Australia win was a near-formality.
Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson have departed the Australia set up while Mitchell Starc, their leading ODI wicket-tacker of the 2015 series with 41, is out with injury and there will be two debutants for the hosts in Scott Boland and Western Australian Joel Paris, who is tipped to take the new ball alongside Josh Hazlewood. # The Perth ODI has amassed 77.37 runs per wicket – the fourth highest in an ODI in Australia – the best ever is 220.50 between Pakistan and West Indies at Melbourne on February 23, 1992.
Te Australians were sent on a leather hunt courtesy Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as they posted scores of 91 and 171* respectively.
Before the teams move on to Brisbane for the second game on January 15, Bleacher Report has picked out the winners and losers from the series opener.
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Australia is hosting India for five ODIs and three T20Is.
