PERTH: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni lamented a “very bad day” for his spinners after the tourists failed to defend a big total on a docile Perth pitch in the five-wicket defeat to Australia in their opening one-day international on Tuesday.

Injuries to fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma have blunted India’s attack for the five-match series and on the eve of the first contest, Dhoni spoke of the need for someone to step up to the mark if one of his bowlers had an off day.

Dhoni had also banked on his frontline spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja using a tight line to prevent the Australian batsmen from scoring freely as they chased down a target of 310 for victory.

However, both spinners were powerless to prevent Steve Smith and George Bailey from blasting vital hundreds as they stitched together a 242-run stand for the third wicket that took the match out of India’s hands.

“When I was speaking about sharing the load yesterday, I was speaking about when the fast bowlers don’t have a very good day then I will have to use the spinners,” said Dhoni, who retired from the test arena at the end of 2014.

“I never thought it will be the spinners who will have a very bad day and the others will have to share that responsibility,” he added.

“It’s a tricky one. If you see the bowling department, the fast bowlers did a very good job; it was the spinners who could have bowled better if they could have just avoided the easy boundary deliveries.”

Debutant fast bowler Barinder Sran gave India, who tallied 309 for three batting first, an ideal platform by dismissing both Australia openers cheaply to reduce the hosts to 21-2.

But Bailey (112) and Smith (149) then shut the Indians out with off-spinner Ashwin, who picked up two wickets at the end of Australia’s innings, and Jadeja going for 129 runs in their 18 overs.

Dhoni tried part-timer Rohit Sharma too, but the off-spinner gave away 11 runs in the only over he bowled.

The Australian duo picked up singles and twos with ease and the occasional boundaries kept their required run rate well under control as India failed to exert any pressure.


Akmal’s 1-match suspension lifted by Pakistan Cricket Board

Pakistan’s Umar Akmal is eligible to play in a Twenty20 series against New Zealand on Friday after the middle-order batsman successfully appealed his one-match suspension for violating dress code during a domestic match.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said Wednesday that Akmal’s original suspension would be lifted and he would be permitted to play.

Akmal sported two logos instead of the single logo permitted under competition rules during the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last week.

He was dropped for Pakistan’s recent Twenty20 series against England for his involvement in unspecified “immoral activities” during another domestic match, before the PCB changed course when he was cleared by the police.

Akmal will return home after the three-match series against New Zealand and will not be a part of Pakistan’s one-day international team.