Vadodara: Exactly a day after Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that Australia had “more talent” in the all-rounders’ category, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar reminded their captain that they did have something in them.

The opening ODI of the seven-match series for the Hero Honda Cup had been devoid of fireworks and the hosts were heading towards a huge defeat, on Sunday afternoon, when the duo ignited the Reliance Cricket Stadium.

Within a couple of overs, then, the “hai-hais” turned to chants of “Bhajji, Bhajji” and “Bharat jeetega.”

Such was the record-rewriting partnership’s dhamaka that the buzz over the Foster’s girls (“water babes” somebody quipped) doing drinks cart duty ceased.

Indeed, with fours and sixes being hit with panache, and the Australians putting on a horrid bowling performance in the closing stages, the mood changed dramatically.

Even Gujarat’s home minister, Amitbhai Shah, was seen cheering the experienced Harbhajan and Praveen, who is yet to become a regular in limited overs cricket.

Chief minister Narendra Modi, president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, came for a while before leaving for Moscow.

Thanks to the duo’s 84-run collaboration for the eighth wicket, off only 57 balls, Team India came to within five runs of beating the World Cup and the Champions Trophy holders.

With Brett Lee having a sore (right) elbow and unable to bowl more than six overs, Ricky Ponting turned to Peter Siddle for the decisive last over.

Adjudged the Emerging Player of the Year during the ICC Awards night earlier this month, Siddle didn’t let his captain down. Clearly, he’s not one to play second fiddle.

Harbhajan and Praveen required nine, after having smashed a wayward Shane Watson for 20 in the penultimate over, but the issue was settled on the very second delivery when the offie got bowled for a career-best 49 (31 balls, 4x4, 3x6).

It was the day’s defining moment.

Ashish Nehra and Praveen managed three singles from the remaining deliveries, giving Australia a four-run win. Praveen, who’d been clobbered in the first session, was not out on 40 (32 balls, 5x4, 1x6).

Relieved at being able to defend 292 for eight on an absolute belter, Ponting remarked: “I’m just happy we won... We’d played well enough for much of the game and did most of the things right through the course of the match... However, we bowled more bad balls in the last five-six overs than in the first 45 or so and some of the guys have work to do...”

Ponting took a dig at old foe Harbhajan, though. “Yeah, he certainly batted well, but not well enough!”

Of course, Ponting didn’t forget to praise MoM Michael Hussey for a mature 73. The vice-captain’s innings, and his 76-run partnership (for the fourth wicket) with Cameron White, made a huge difference and the selectors are bound to appreciate how invaluable he is.

Reports in Australia have suggested that Hussey’s place in the Test squad is actually threatened.

As for Dhoni, he attempted offering a brave face, pointing out that the booing was only to be expected if the team didn’t win. “We’ve experienced this before, in Mumbai (2006) and other places, and it’s a part and parcel of the game...”

In Dhoni’s view, the loss of three wickets in the power play taken from the 35th over allowed Australia take a stranglehold. “Harbhajan aur Praveen ne match banaya, but the turning point was the loss of those wickets...”

Ravindra Jadeja followed in the over immediately after the power play and, so, four wickets went down within six overs. Whatever the strategy, it quickly went for a toss and defeat became inevitable.

“It’s a mindset thing when it comes to batting in the power plays... One should look for normal cricketing shots, the kind played in Test cricket... Batsmen tend to put a bit more pressure on themselves (in the power plays),” is how Ponting put it.

The game marked Virender Sehwag’s first appearance in the India colours after the tour to New Zealand, in April, and while he began with fours off each of the first two deliveries, he must understand that cameos mean little.

In fact, at the very top of the order, cameos mean nothing.

What’s pleasing is that Ishant Sharma looked good. He bowled quicker than he’d been doing in recent weeks and, with three for 50, returned the best figures for India after Ponting chose to bat.

“Ishant has been just a bit low on confidence, but he bowled in the right areas... He seemed to be in the right space in his mind... All of us are helping him... Ishant takes a lot of pressure even at nets... One can’t control performances, but one can control the effort,” Dhoni maintained.

Meanwhile, Lee, who joined the team only around 12 hours before the match got under way, isn’t alone in having a problem. According to The Telegraph’s sources, James Hopes will undergo a scan for a strained right hamstring.

The second ODI, in Nagpur, is on Wednesday.