India vs Australia: The first game of the three-match T20I series between India and Australia came to an end in the most dramatic fashion. Australia registered an emphatic win by 4 wickets with 4 balls to spare in what was a heart-enthralling encounter between the two teams. Both the teams displayed fantastic batting efforts in particular which lead to a high-scoring match much to the excitement of the fans of both sides. India lacked the quality with the ball in particular which cost them the match during the crucial stages. It’s time for us to have a deeper look into it.
Australia asked India to bat first after winning the toss on a seemingly good batting wicket at Mohali. India were off to a fairly good start with both Rohit and Kohli having found a boundary early on in the innings. However, Australia didn’t take too much time to make a comeback as they found their way back in no time with two quick strikes to send Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back cheaply.
KL Rahul thereon steered the innings forward along with Suryakumar Yadav. Once settled both the batters played fluent shots and started finding the boundaries regularly to put the pressure back on the bowlers. The duo has stitched on a fine 68-run partnership in 7 overs before KL Rahul departed for a fine 55.
Suryakumar Yadav who was striking the ball well also was dismissed a clue overs later with India reduced to 126/4 after 13.3 overs. It was then that Hardik Pandya came into bat and took matters into his own hands immediately. He started counterattacking the bowlers in the death brilliantly as he notched up an incredible fifty off just 25 balls. He finished with 71 off 30 balls to help India post 208/6 in their 20 overs. His blistering batting which included three sixes in the last three balls of the innings helped India finish on a high.
Australia in response started off with all guns blazing. Skipper Aaron Finch and Cameron Green played quick scoring shots right from the first over. Axar Patel removed dangerous-looking Aaron finch for 22 inside the powerplay but that didn’t stop young Cameron Green from finding the fence and keeping the momentum going. The 23-year-old displayed a tremendous range of shots as he send the ball out of the fence at will.
He combined with Steve Smith for a fabulous 70-run stand in just 40 balls before being dismissed for a valiant 61 by Axar Patel again. Steve Smith who was looking well set at 35 looked to take the game away from India with Glenn Maxwell who was new to the crease. But an incredible 12th over from Umesh Yadav saw both these batters being sent back into the pavilion with India’s hopes getting high again.
Just when it seemed that India would strengthen its grip over the match and derail the Australian innings completely after the fall of Joshua Inglis for 14, the last recognised duo of Tim David and Mathew Wade started to bring Australia back into the game. The duo combined for a massively important 62-run partnership off just 30 balls to help Australia get ever so closer to the target. The duo notched up 22 runs in Harshal Patel’s 18th over to shock the hosts.
Mathew Wade who scored a total of 45 off just 21 balls, smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three boundaries in succession in the penultimate over wherein Australia managed to accumulate another 16 runs. Australia went on to register a comfortable 4-wicket win in the last over. Cameron Green was awarded the man of the match for his brilliant innings with the bat that helped his side chase down the mammoth total in this first India vs Australia T20I
Also Read:- David Warner apologises to fan for controversial Instagram post about India vs Australia series