India vs Australia 1st T20I Highlights: Yuzvendra Chahal turned out to be the perfect concussion substitute after an injured Ravindra Jadeja did his part with the bat as the duo played their roles to perfection in India’s impressive 11-run victory over Australia in the first T20 International on Friday. Credit was also due to the lion-hearted effort from debutant Thangarasu Natarajan (3/30) and off-spinner Washington Sundar (0/16 in 4 overs), who bowled well in Powerplay.
Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls to propel India to 161 for 7, his head injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise with India unleashing Chahal (3/25 in 4 overs) on an Australian side caught completely off-guard. The hosts could manage only 150 for 7 in 20 overs.
1st T20I, Manuka Oval, 04 Dec, 2020
India win first T20I against Australia by 11 runs. Substitute Yuzvendra Chahal and debutant Natarajan claim three wickets each to script India's win. What a sensational comeback after being 92/5 in their innings. Chahal-Natarajan lead the defence of 162 as India go 1-0 up, the team's ninth successive win in T20Is.
Natarajan gets Starc bowled with that delivery! The debutant has stood out with his performance and he ends his spell with three wickets in his first T20 International match for India. AUS are 135/7 after 19 overs.
Just what India needed in the final overs of the game! Another wicket, this time Chahar gets Henriques. Moises Henriques' lbw review is unsuccessful, with him probably goes Australia's last chance of a win. AUS are 127/6 after 18 overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal, on as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja, has bowled a brilliant spell. He finishes with figures of 3/25 as Matthew Wade is caught by Kohli Australia need 40 off 18 with 5 wickets remaining, they are 122/5 after 17 overs.
A dream debut for Natarajan! D'Arcy Short never got going, the Australia opener is caught for a 38-ball 34, bringing Wade to the crease. AUS need 49 more in last 5 overs to win, they are 113/4 after 15 overs.
Nine runs conceded by Chahal from that over and Australia reach 104/3 after 14 overs. Henriques - 18* & Short - 32* are present into the middle with a stand of 30 runs.
Shami to Henriques. SIX, that's a flat six, short ball and it's pulled to deep square leg. Superb timing by Heriques as AUS are 95/3 after 13 overs.
Top review from India and Natarajan has Maxwell. Natarajan gets his maiden T20I wicket on review, Maxwell is lbw for two as India edge ahead in the game. A brilliant review from Kohli and Co. AUS are 79/3 after 11 overs.
Short from Chahar and Smith gets hold off it and clears the boundary but substitute Chahal sets it straight in the next over as he dismisses the Australian batsman for 12 runs. Credit to Samson's catch, which is arguably even better than that of Pandya's. This is a massive wicket and Chahal has his second. The match is turning towards India's side again. AUS are 74/2 halfway through their chase.
India finally have a breakthrough as India's 12th man Yuzvendra Chahal picks up wicket in his first over with a brilliant diving catch from Hardik Pandya. Finch departs for 35 as AUS are 58/1 after 8 overs.
India is going to regret couple of chances they dropped, giving Australia a new life. First Pandey and now Virat Kohli, who puts down a simple one! He gets underneath the ball but it goes through his hand. AUS are 54/0 after 7 overs.
Australia openers Finch and Short bring up 50-run partnership in 6 overs to give the hosts a fine start to the chase. Finch is looking in destructive form. At the end of the powerplay, AUS are 53/0.
Finch takes on Shami and gets 12 runs from the 5th over including a boundary and a maximum. Finch and Short have given Australia a quick start. AUS are 45/0 after 5 overs.
Short from Sundar and Finch dispatches it with ease. Australia have made an excellent start in the run chase as AUS are 33-0 after 4 overs.
Two back-to-back boundaries by Short get Australia back on track after managing just two runs in the second over. Two boundaries for D'Arcy Short in Shami's first over. Breezy start for the hosts as AUS are 26/0 after 3 overs.
Poor start to defending by India. Deepak Chahar bowls an expensive first over for Team India, conceding 14 runs including 3 fours and a leg-bye
Australia need 162 to win and they begin the chase. D Arcy Short and Finch are at the crease. Chahar opens the attack.
After their mid-order collapse, Jadeja (44*) helps India reach 156/7 scoreboard after 20 overs. Even after an injury issue, Jadeja fired big shots against Hazlewood, hitting three fours and a six in the penultimate over. Sundar was dismissed by Starc in the last over, but Jadeja rallied on with two fours. 46 runs in the last three overs -- a big finish. Australia now need 162 to win in Canberra.
Going from bad to worse now for India! Pandya loses his wicket now as Henriques bags his third wicket. Pandya tried to up the ante in the death overs but his shot goes straight into the hands of Smith at long-off. He departs for 16. IND: 114/6 (16.5 overs)
No boundaries for 34 balls. Pandya (7*) and Jadeja (6*) try to settle in but the pressure from the Australia bowlers is immense. They manage to rotate the strike regularly against Zampa and Hazlewood. India need a big, big finish now. IND: 104/5 (16 overs)
GONE! Rahul (51) is tempted by a slower ball by Henriques and he tries to get a big shot down the ground, but Abbott is perfectly placed at long-on for the catch. Just six runs and three wickets in the last 17 balls. Ravindra Jadeja's on. IND: 93/5 (14 overs)
Australia are in the driving seat now! Pandey cuts a delivery straight into the hands of Hazlewood who manages to just get his hands underneath the ball at short third man. The batsman departs for 2. Hardik Pandya comes on next. IND: 90/4 (12.4 overs)
GONE! Samson picks a slower one well but he is sent back to the pavilion! After Rahul brought up his fifty, he tries to up the runrate but he finds the fielder at the over. Moises Henriques gets his first wicket. Manish Pandey comes on. IND: 86/3 (11.1 overs)
'We basically found that Virat Kohli finds leg-spinners hard to line up early in his innings,' Adam Zampa had pointed out. In T20Is, Kohli has the second-highest dot-ball percentage against right-arm wrist-spinners. Swepson dismissed him today. | READ MORE |
Samson (15*) and Rahul (48*) are forming an effective partnership, choosing the right shots under pressure. Just like the six by Samson which is pulled to the grass banks. Rahul follows it up with a boundary. 24 runs in last three overs. IND: 75/2 (10 overs)
GONE! Kohli (9) is sent back into the hut and it's a big, big wicket for Australia! Swepson tricks Kohli into getting his stroke wrong... it's spooned up off the splice and straight back to Swepson. India in trouble now. Sanju Samson comes on. IND: 48/2 (6.4 overs)
After Rahul slaughters Zampa in his first over for nine runs which included a boundary, Abbott comes into the attack. The IPL 2020 Orange Cap-winner continues with his momentum -- a four and a first maximum of the match over deep midwicket. 12 runs off the over and it looks like India haven't faltered after their initial collapse through Dhawan. Powerplay ends. IND: 42/1 (6 overs)
Virat Kohli comes in at number three and injects some confidence in the team with a cracking four over midwicket. Kohli (7*) and Rahul (11*) keep on rotating the strike with quick singles. Hazlewood gives away 8 runs in his second over. IND: 21/1 (4 overs)
DHAWAN FALLS! There's the early breakthrough Australia were hoping for. After Hazlewood kept the pressure on the batsmen, Starc sent Dhawan's off-stump for a walk with a 145 kmph outswinger in the next over. Rejoice for Finch. IND: 11/1 (2.5 overs)
Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul are out to open first. Mitchell Starc opens the proceedings for Australia and he does well with his line and length. India open their account through a two from Rahul on the second ball of the innings. IND: 4/0 (1 over)
Kohli: "Great chance to have a look at a few guys. Have managed workloads of the bowlers nicely so far. We've been playing good T20 cricket, we just have to continue that. Natarajan is making his debut today. Looked composed in the third ODI. There was a reason I went to him."
India Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul(w), Virat Kohli(c), Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan
Finch: 'Been quite a big buildup anyway. Was expected to be at this time. Not much changes. Short opens the batting, Wade at three. Phenomenal design, grateful to be able to wear it (the indigenous kit).'
Australia Playing XI: Aaron Finch (c), D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (wk), Steve Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Mitch Starc, Mitch Swepson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Australia have won the toss and opted to field first against India in the first of the three-match T20I series.
Natarajan is set to make his International T20I debut after giving a memorable performance in the final ODI.
With bigger grounds than in Sydney, spinners could be key. The pitch is expected to be better than SCG, where there is likely to be something there for the bowlers.
Canberra remains almost under no threat of precipitation on Friday. The temperature will linger at 20 degrees Celcius.
The Australian cricketers are set to fold away their famed yellow jerseys for the first T20I. Instead, they will sport jerseys designed by indigenous women, Aunty Fiona Clarke and Courtney Hagen, with traditional motifs on a charcoal background -- a belated acknowledgement of the aboriginal people of the land with a culture that goes back to an estimated 60,000 years. (READ MORE)
In recent times, Jadeja’s batting has dramatically changed courtesy two tweaks: the arm-extension, and the arching of the back. The areas he hits – straight down the ground or square – remain the same but it’s the extension of the arms at impact that has changed. In the past, against pace, he would not go through with his shots when connecting with the ball. The last-instant post-impact follow-through jab has certainly spiked up in recent times, and worked in his favour. (READ MORE)
After registering a morale-boosting win over Australia in the third and final ODI to avoid a series whitewash, the Indian team will take on the hosts in first of the three T20Is to be played at the Manuka Oval on Friday. India will, however, miss the services of pace bowler Shardul Thakur who was the standout bowler in Wednesday’s ODI, picking three wickets including that of Steve Smith, to help his side win by 13 runs. Meanwhile, Australia miss the services of David Warner. Stay tuned for match updates, toss result, Playing XI and live score.