Australia's Matthew Wade, left, hugs batting partner Pat Cummins to celebrate after their win in the first T20 cricket match against India, in Mohali. (AP Photo)India vs Australia 1st T20 Highlights: Australia beat India by four wickets in the first T20 International, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Cameron Green’s blistering innings coupled with Matthew Wade’s unbeaten 45 off 21 balls helped the Kangaroos to race to victory with four balls to spare.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya (71 not out) and KL Rahul (55) scored smashed half-centuries to help India reach 208/6 in 20 overs after Australia captain Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to field first. Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were not included in the playing XI for India.
Brief Scores: India- 208/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 71 not out, KL Rahul 55; Nathan Elis 3/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/39) vs Australia.
Australia- 211/6 in 19.2 over (Cameron Green 61, Matthew Wade 45 not out; Axar Patel 3/17)
India
208/6 (20.0)Australia
211/6 (19.2)Australia beat India by 4 wickets
Harshal Patel stood there, scratching his chin during the 18th over where he bled 22 runs. He could well have been scratching his head.So will Harshal do well in Australia? He will have to include a few changes in his style, if the first T20 in Mohali offers us any clues. His strength is the slower ball that he pings down on the track, gets the sluggish pitch to suck in the ball almost - rather the ball holds up on the pitch as they say - to upset the downward bat swing and timing of the batsman. Not on these kind of belters or true bounce pitches of Australia, though.So there he was trying that ball to Matthew Wade and saw it being thrown back from deep square-boundary. Even his full slower ones, the off-breakish variety, usually needs something from the pitch to grip and break to upset the batsman’s shot. Here it skids and floats and Tim David slugged it over long-on. Harshal Patel could have been a natural bowler for last year’s T20 World Cup. He wasn’t in the squad. For him to step-up and perform in next month’s T20 World in Australia, he will have to make a few changes. If the pitches in the next two T20’s turn out to be slower, he can do his thing. For the sake of the World Cup, it might be good if they are not, so that he finds out what he needs to do to amp up his game.- By Sriram Veera
Yuzvendra Chahal comes in to bowl the last over and picks up Tim David on the first ball. Pat Cummins, comes to the crease and hits a four! GAME OVER ! A monumental win for the Kangaroos! AUS: 211/6 in 19.2 overs
Bhuvneshwar goes short to Matthe Wade and concedes three back to back boundaries. What a great partnership this from Wade and David. From needing 55 off 24 to winning with nearly an over to spare. Bhuvi ends conceding 52 from his four overs. Score after 19 overs, AUS: 207/5
Matthew Wade, was dropped off the first ball of the over by the bowler himself and he makes him pay with a six. Its an expensive over. 6 1 6 1 6 2 = 22 runs off the over | Score after 18 overs, AUS: 191/5 | Australia need 18 runs in 12 balls
Matthew Wade, after walking in, has gone slam-bang and smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 15 runs in one over. Three wides add more misery! Score after 17 overs, AUS: 169/5, need 40 runs off 18 balls
Tu catch pakda na? (You took the catch, right?) Rohit Sharma could be heard mouthing to Dinesh Karthik after he had already gone for DRS when Glenn Maxwell had plausibly edged behind one attempted pull.
The umpire had signalled that he didn’t hear anything (possibly in the raucous din at Mohali stadium) and so initially the question seemed all about whether there was an edge. Rohit was pretty confident he had heard and had asked for DRS immediately. Then came the doubt. He turned and asked Karthik the wicketkeeper whether he had cleanly pouched the dipping ball.
Karthik did the Indian head nod and said something (unclear) and Rohit in jest shook him and mock-strangled him! DK was all smiles.
Then as he waited for the third umpire to make the call, Rohit was seen shaking his head and chattering away with a few cuss words of course. The third umpire saw the edge and went to on-field umpire Ananthapadmanabhan, claiming the edge.
But Anantha was also having Rohit’s initial doubts, and asked the third umpire to check if the catch was clean. Luckily, for India and Karthik, it was!
- Sriram Veera
Axar Patel cleans up Josh Inglis! The batter is bowled around his legs. Inglis was looking good but leaves his leg stump exposed and falls for 17. Axar ends his spell with figures of 4-0-17-3 | Score after 15 overs, AUS: 148/5
Despite wickets falling at the other end, Inglis continues to deal in boundaries. A short one from Pandya and he makes room and gets an outside edge. The ball races away to the boundary. Score after 14 overs, AUS: 145/4
Umesh Yadav gets two in the over as Glenn Maxwell departs for 1. Good review from Rohit and Co. Score after 12 overs, AUS: 123/4
Steve Smith has been dismissed and caught behind. Umesh Yadav responds strongly after getting hit for back-to-back boundaries.
Earlier this month, Cameron Green passed an important milestone. It wasn't about runs, wickets or catches, he won the respect of the Aussie dressing room - a place where the weak are historically looked down upon and brave are those who shed blood and sweat for the baggy green. In a game against the opponents they hate to lose, New Zealand, the all-rounder endured physical pain to see his team through. Hardly able to move because of cramps, he hit a career best-89 not out as the Aussies survived a late collapse to go past the Black Caps’ modest target of 232. He couldn't run, couldn't even use his feet while at the crease. Trust the tough Aussie commentators to pull the leg of their young mate. From the Fox Cricket commentary box Kerry O’Keeffe said “I’ve seen statues with more leg movement than him.” For Brad Haddin, Green was straight shoo-in to play Wizard of Oz’s Tin Man. But that's how the Aussies show their love. And when the time came to push someone up the order when India posted a 200 plus score, young Green was called in to take up the job of the stand-in opener. First 4 balls, 4 fours, Green was Wizard of Oz himself.
- By Sandeep Dwivedi
Axar Patel strikes again to dismiss Cameron Green who departs after scoring 61 (30). Virat Kohli takes a good high catch. He is not dropping those. AUS 109/2 in 10.1 overs
Cameron Green brings up his maiden 50 after being asked to open the batting! What a fantastic innings this has been from him. He has scored at a stunning strike rate of 207.7 !! Meanwhile, the 100 has also come up for Australia. Score after 10 overs, AUS: 109/1
Dropped! Axar Patel puts down Camerono Green at deep midwicket! This might be too costly! But that's not all as KL Rahul drops Steve Smith in the next over. This time Axar is the bowler! What is happening here from India.
2 1 6 0 6 4 = 19 runs from the over! Another big over for Australia. Chahal is on the receiving end of a brutal attack from Green who seems unstoppable. India needs to get rid off Green before its too late. Who will Rohit turn to? Score after 7 overs, AUS: 79/1
Cameron Green smacks Chahal for another four and then a leg-bye of Harshal Patel brings up the fifty for the Kangaroos. Green does hit the ball immensely hard, just bludgeoning the ball here in Mohali. He ends the PowerPlay with another cracking boundary of Harshal Patel. Score after 6 overs, AUS: 60/1
India get the breakthrough as Axar Patel strikes in his first over! The change in bowling has worked for Rohit and Finch is clean bowled for 22 off 13 balls. Steven Smith, the right-handed batter, comes to the crease. Score after 4 overs, AUS: 40/1
Cameron Green scores four back-to-back boundaries against Umesh Yadav. There is no swing on offer and hence lengths should be shorter. Indian bowlers seem to be missing a trick! Score after 2 overs, AUS: 24/0
Finch and Green are at the crease. Finch is on strike. Bhuvneshwar will open the attack. And it's a first ball SIX! Bhuvneshwar bowls it full outside off and Finch hits it over the top for a huge six! However, just 2 more runs come off the next five balls. Good comeback from Bhuvi!
Last over now and Green will bowl this one. Hardik is on some otherworldly form as three sixes finishes off India's innings. What a knock by Hardik!!! IND finish at 208/6 after 20 overs
Under pressure, KL Rahul turned to his pre-IPL captain years to breathe fire. Of many delightful shots, one stood out: a wristy whippy flick for six over wide midwicket off a length delivery around off and middle from Hazlewood who raised his eyebrow in surprise at the shot selection. Though it wasn’t as stunning as the six he hit in the Asia Cup game against Pakistan off Naseem Shah when he twirled his wrists but incredibly hit a length delivery on leg and middle over long-off. That was something.
This fiery knock and the context it came in can be best summed up by a tattoo on KL Rahul’s body: Deshi Basara, which means “Rise”.
His friend David Mathias, with whom he works occasionally on his game too, had once told this newspaper about it.
“Of all the tattoos, he was most excited and proud to show that Batman tattoo”.“Deshi Basara! It means “Rise” and it was such a cool scene from The Batman - Dark Knight too,” Mathias had said. That it was. In that scene, it’s established that only adrenaline could boost the body’s abilities beyond the normal that Batman needs to escape the really high pit. He uses the fear of dying to pump up his adrenaline as he leaps and climbs out of that pit to deafening cries of ‘Deshi Basara’ from the prisoners huddled below.
In his real life, Rahul prefers to climb out of batting pits through his calm and composure. “That’s how he has been all his life. You should see his parents – solid, intelligent (both professors) and calmer than Rahul even. He gets it from them. Doesn’t get flustered much at all.”.
- Sriram Veera
Harshal Patel comes in to bat and starts with a four. Next ball, he takes the aerial route but Maxwell saves a boundary!!! Hardik ends this over with a four and brings up his half century. IND 187/6 after 19 overs
It seems India's Top 3 had been given a fixed ration of balls by the decision-makers in the dressing room. With a batting line-up that has Axar Patel at No.7 and sloggers like Harshal Patel and Umesh Yadav to follow, you don't want the seniors in the team to stick around for long. So you had the opener Rohit Sharma manufacturing fours and sixes from the start of his innings. He didn't worry about the fielders on the square leg fence and tried to flick sixes over them. He didn't worry about the well-guarded off-side in-field and went over them. If he got out, so be it. There were way too many batters to follow him. KL Rahul, questioned about the strike rate since the IPL, too seemed conscious of some invisible ticking countdown clock. After completing his 50 in the 11th over, he looked like a guest was getting stares from the hosts for overstaying. In the next over he was out, hitting one too many big strokes. He knew he couldn't be seen eating into the balls that the big finishers Hardik Patel and Dinesh Karthik were to face. T20 cricket these days was like pizza slices.
- Sandeep Dwivedi
The penultimate over of the innings now. And that's a shout for an LBW on Karthik. And the ball was hitting the stumps as ball tracking shows that the wickets were hitting. Gone!!! IND 176/6 after 18.1 overs.
Cummins in to bowl the 18th and Hardik pulls and pulls it mighty. That has sailed over the boundary!!! The intent is there and India will hope to reach 190 at least. The 5th ball has been chipped away, over mid-on and another four!! IND 176/5 after 18 overs
Nathan Ellis in to bowl the 15th over now. And Hardik Pandya gets some bat on it and it races towards the boundary for a four. Axar Patel tries to attack a slower ball and it has gone high and an easy catch for Green. IND 146/5 after 15.5 overs
Here's some glimpses of the action that transpired in the match thus far!!! Check them out.
The 14th now and Hardik starts this one with 6 more. Make that 3 sixes in a row for India!!! Green comes back and snaps up Suryakumar Yadav who was looking dangerous. Breathless stuff tonight. IND 126/4 after 13.3 overs
Zampa in to bowl the 13th and after a couple of quieter deliveries, Suryakumar Yadav takes him to the cleaners with back to back sixes to end the over!! IND 119/3 after 13 overs
The jury is still out on the new aggressive mantra adopted by the Indian opening pair, but it looked a bit helter-skelter against a quality Australian pace attack in Mohali.
Rohit Sharma has won admirers with his elegant playing style, but running down the pitch at bowlers of the class of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, throwing the bat at the cherry and attempting ungainly heaves may not please the purists too much.
Not that it helped a great deal on the scoreboard either. A total of 46/2 after the Powerplay - with big guns Rohit and Virat Kohli back in the dugout for low scores – can only be described as a middling return on investment, and that too possibly due to Suryakumar Yadav’s classy intervention in the sixth over.
If anything, the innings found its rhythm once Yadav joined KL Rahul, with the two employing more orthodox methods, relying on their natural talent and strokeplay. As many as 51 runs came off the second lot of five overs, that too without the loss of a wicket, proving that there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
Maybe, the ultra-aggressive approach to start a T20 innings is part of a bigger plan, to let the likes of Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik to play without much pressure later in the piece. Only time will tell Down Under.
- Tushar Bhaduri
And that's the end of KL Rahul's innings as he tries to play a Hazlewood delivery and it's taken by Ellis. India still steady though with a bit of batting left. IND 103/3 after 12 overs
If there was a contest of cricketing cliches, 'You can't bowl Indians on their legs' would win hands down. As if to instigate the commentators, the lines that are "as old as the game", the Aussies, at Mohali, started by sticking to the leg line. They didn't cash in on the early tentativeness of the Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul by focusing on the 'corridor of uncertainty'. Be it Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins or even Nathan Ellis, they didn't bowl in the "good areas." They ended up bowling on the strengths of Rohit and Rahul on a pitch that was a "belter" and the outfield that was like a "billiards table." Rohit threw "caution to the wind" and flicked a six. Rahul kept "playing each ball on its merit." His six off Hazlewood had the "crowd on their feet." But between balls that had "hit-me written all over it", "lady luck" smiled on the Aussies as Rohit fell while hitting a "nothing ball." Cricket, a religion for many in India, remained a "game of glorious uncertainty." Sixes, wickets, thrills and spills - summed up the cliched start to this T20 game.
- Sandeep Dwivedi
That's a 50 for KL Rahul Got India off to a great start as he takes a single off Zampa's last ball of the 11th over. IND 91/2 after 11 overs
10th over now and India will be the happier side as Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul have keep tem honest in the match. This over by Nathan Ellis yielded just 7 though. IND 86/2 after 10 overs
On to the 8th over and Suryakumar Yadav has started like a house on fire in this match!!! A six and a four off Green to end this over. IND 69/2 after 8 overs
They starved him off pace at the start. Adam Zampa with his leggies and googlies had Virat Kohli poking around. Then Nathan Ellis slipped in a couple of back-of-hand slower ones that had him dabbing around. And then when the first pacy ball came, Kohli thought he could break free but his hands didn’t flow as they could. It wasn’t the firm lofted punch over the in-field, neither was it the swat-flick across to the leg side. An in-between shovel that was swallowed at mid-on. It’s a strategy that could be tried again in the future and worth looking for to see how Kohli handles it.
- Sriram Veera
Last over of the powerplay and Cummins will bowl this over. Beautiful shot for a four by Suryakumar Yadav for a boundary. The 5th ball is pulled for a 6 by SKY!!! IND 46/2 after 6 overs
That's out!!! Nathan Ellis takes the big wicket of Virat Kohli. He tries to look for the boundary and he is taken by Green!!! IND 35/2 after 4.5 overs
Rapturous welcome for Virat Kohli as he walks in to bat. And we are on to te 4th over as Adam Zampa comes in to bat. The over ends with another 4 as India look steady. IND 30/1 after 4 overs
Cummins in to bowl the 2nd over and Rohit and Rahul have started like a house on fire. A six and a four from this over. Rahul starts the 3rd with a 6!!! And nooo!!! That's a catch. Hazlewood strikes, Rohit Sharma out for 11. IND 21/1 after 2.1 overs
It's time and here come the India batters, all decked up in their new jersey. Rahul and Rohit are at the crease. Rahul is on strike. Hazlewood will open the attack. And Rahul off the mark with a single. Sweet sound from the middle of the willow. Rohit charges and swings. gets the under edge of the bat and he takes a single. The fifth ball finds the gap but no boundary as Rahul takes 2 runs. IND 4/0 after 1 over.
Almost time for the start of the match. Here's a look back at Team India's hurdle before the toss
Tim David Trivia: He was delisted by the Western Australia in 2019. He went on to play for his birth country Singapore, played 14 T20 internationals for the associate nation, became a globe-trotter and set the T20 circuit on fire with his hard-hitting finishing prowess. Cut to the present, he is making his Australia debut against India in Mohali.
Former Punjab cricketers, including Team India's batting coach Vikram Rathour, current BCCI selector Harvinder Singh, Mahesh Inder Singh, Bhupinder Singh Sr, and Bharti Vij has been felicitated by the Punjab Cricket Association.
It is an opportunity to test ourselves. Every game is a big game to learn. We got to learn so much in the last six-eight months on how to win games. This series will be no different for us to express ourselves. Looking at what happened in the Asia Cup, we had a chance to reflect on where we went wrong. This gives us an opportunity to correct ourselves as a group. Nothing changes in terms of our approach. Unfortunately there are some injuries in the squad. Bumrah is not playing, he will take a game's break and probably come back in the second and the third game. We have Axar and Chahal. Pant misses out.
Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch(c), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal
Time for the toss and Australia have won the toss and opted to bowl against India.
Tim David has been handed out an Australian debut cap by Matthew Wade.
20 minutes to go for the toss, most of the stands are still empty.
From ?150 to ?200, the not so original Indian jersey is in demand outside the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali.
India have thrown their lot behind Kohli after they went through a very conservative ‘experimental’ phase which lacked real experiments. India didn’t quite explore trying Rishabh Pant as opener or even giving Prithvi Shaw a go to see how he does. Or give Suryakumar Yadav the No.3 position. In fact, they demoted Deepak Hooda after he had done well at the top. So, after going around in circles, India have come back to Kohli. (READ MORE)
Virat Kohli has marked his line-up. He is now bowling alongside Harshal Patel, and Deepak Hooda. He might be deployed as the the team’s sixth or seventh bowling option in the T20I series against Australia. (READ MORE)
The PCA Stadium in Mohali is all set to welcome the India and the Australia team for the first T20 match. Check out the venue here.
Western Australia delisted Tim David in 2019. He went to Singapore, the country of his birth, played 14 T20 internationals for the associate nation, became a globe-trotter and set the T20 circuit on fire with his hard-hitting finishing prowess.
Fans start to gather outside the IS Bindra PCA stadium in Mohali.
Yuzvendra Chahal and Deepak Hooda are bowling in tandem on the practice pitch. Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are going through their batting drill.
From our colleague Pratyush Raj straight from Mohali
India Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Australia Predicted XI: Aaron Finch,Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Daniel Sams, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
Though India did reasonably well with the bat in the Asia Cup, they experimented a lot during the tournament. Their lack of depth in the bowling department was also exposed, but now Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel are back and are expected to make it into the playing XI. (READ MORE)