India and Australia are crossing swords in a three-match T20I series. The two teams played their first T20I at Mohali on Tuesday (September 20) and it turned out to be a cracker. Speaking of the toss, Australian skipper Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to field first.
Indian brigade donned the new jersey and KL Rahul walked alongside Rohit Sharma to open the innings. It turned out to be a decent powerplay for India with them losing the skipper and Virat Kohli earlier. The Men in Blue amassed as many as 46 runs in the powerplay.
Post losing two wickets in the powerplay, the Karnataka batter and Suryakumar Yadav joined hands to keep things going for India. The duo exhibited a range of shots and stitched a 78-run partnership to set the platform for a big score. The maximums kept coming until Cameron Green produced a soft dismissal to dismiss the Mumbai batter in the fourteenth over.
In a surprise move, the team management decided to send Axar Patel ahead of Dinesh Karthik and it proved to be a gamble for the team. However, it didn’t work out. India were at at 148/5 before the start of the final four overs.
However, it was Hardik Pandya who powered India to a total of 208/6 on the back of a beautifully crafted half-century. The all-rounder top-scored for India with his unbeaten 71 while Nathan Ellis from Australia bagged a three-for.
Australia thump India by four wickets
Australia got off to a flier in the powerplay with Aaron Finch and Cameron Green toying with the Indian pacers. However, Axar Patel, the spinner, got the first wicket for team India when he dismissed the Australian skipper for 22 runs. The Baggy Greens ended their powerplay with 60 runs on board and looked on course to chase the mighty target.
Despite the wicket, Cameron Green and Steve Smith kept toying with the Indian bowlers. The team India bowlers, on the other hand, looked absolutely clueless against a brutal Australian batting attack. The spinner who took the first wicket backed himself and removed the former who crumbled for a fiery 61.
However, Green kept smashing sixes and match was evenly posed till the first 10 overs. The game, however, changed after the drinks as Patel got rid of Smith in the 12th over. Umesh Yadav then got the wickets of Maxwell and Inglis in the next over to leave Australia at 124 for 4.
India and Australia looked even towards the start of the death overs. However, Matthew Wade punished Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel in the 18th and 19th over to kill the game for the hosts. Australia, eventually, clinched the win against the Men in Blue by four wickets and took the lead in the series.
The win did not go well with the Indian fans who were hurt.
Here’s how fans reacted for team India’s poor effort:
Suryakumar Yadav smashes 1000th six for India in T20Is. #SuryakumarYadav #INDvsAUS
— SG-13 (@sgytcricupdates) September 20, 2022
Absolutely poor bowling display from #India right from the start, There seems to be no plans as such. Lost yet another game which is well with in the grasps #IndiavsAustralia
— @j@y (@purnaajay) September 20, 2022
India can't defend 209, come on man!
I don't think India has any chances to win this world cup.
They still havn't figured out their combination.
Pathetic Bowling#INDvsAUS— Sherin Elliot (@elliotsherin) September 20, 2022
Congratulations Australia 😪
— Trupti mayee patra (@Truptim36795124) September 20, 2022
Congratulations 👏 #Australia for a cracker of a batting innings #INDvsAUS
— amit sengupta vlogs 📷 (@travellerAmit) September 20, 2022
Congratulations Australia!
— Paridhi Srivastava 7🏏⚽ (@BeingKohlicious) September 20, 2022
The man, the myth, the legend HARDIK PANDYA🔥#INDvAUS
— I-Run Man (@JSiddharth23) September 20, 2022
@hardikpandya7 – The Game Changer ⚔️#INDvAUS
— ℝ𝕠𝕙𝕚𝕥 🏹 ℝℂ 🏇 (@im_RCult) September 20, 2022
When Pant plays, he tries some different flamboyant shot and gets out.
When DK plays, suddenly Axar comes before him.
Puzzling!!!#INDvsAUS— Aditya Joshi (@awriteraditya) September 20, 2022
𝐀𝐔𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐍 👊
Well played, C. Green & M. Wade👏
— Yamlal (@cherryyams1) September 20, 2022
Australia chase down 209 against India 🔥👍.#INDvsAUS #Australia
— KHADIM KHAN 🇵🇰 (@KhadimKhanRizv8) September 20, 2022
Not Again! 😓 #INDvsAUS
— Sachin Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@being_sachin11) September 20, 2022
