CARDIFF:India hammered Australia by 243 runs in a Champions Trophy warm-up match after skittling out the defending champions for just 65 in Cardiff on Tuesday.

Umesh Yadav did the bulk of the damage, taking the first five wickets to fall in a stunning return of five for 18 in just five overs.

Meanwhile fellow paceman Ishant Sharma bagged three for 11 against an Australia side where Shane Watson was given a rest from batting following his hundred in a warm-up match against the West Indies.

Only two Australia batsmen Adam Voges (23) and Phil Hughes (14) made it into double figures, with the innings all wrapped up in the 24th over.

Earlier, world champions India collapsed to 55 for five before Dinesh Karthik revived the innings with a superb 146 not out, adding 211 for the fifth wicket with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (91) to get the side to a total of 308

for six.

Dhoni was delighted by the form of Karthik, his understudy as wicket-keeper, and said he was now set to play as a batsman only when India open the tournament proper against South Africa in Cardiff on Thursday.

This was Karthik's second century, albeit in warm-up matches, after his unbeaten 106 against Sri Lanka on June 1.

Australia were without Clarke because of a recurrence of a longstanding back injury which has made him doubtful for the side's tournament opener against England at Edgbaston on Saturday.(AFP)

AFP