Tim David made India pay for the dropped catch and went berserk before Marcus Stoinis joined in the party and finished things off in style as Australia ended with an above par score of 186/6 in 20 overs. Matthew Short chipped in as well with an unbeaten 26 off 15 balls. The returning Arshdeep Singh picked up 3 wickets while Varun Chakaravarthy picked up 2 wickets as India had a mixed day in the field. Now, they have to bat well to chase this score of 187 down which won’t be easy.
Arshdeep Singh strikes twice to peg Australia a little in the powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Travis Head came out to open with captain Mitchell Marsh for Australia while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Head made his intentions clear as he helped it on its way to fine leg fence for a boundary. Arshdeep hit back and got rid of Head for 6 off 4 balls with a boundary to her name. Arshdeep bowled a good length delivery shaping away outside off-stump. Head looked to smash it over covers but played away from the body and committed the shot a tad early and got the cue end of the bat and the bottom hand came off with the ball going to Surya at mid-off. Josh Inglis came out to bat next.
Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand from the other end. He was greeted by Marsh as he flicked it to deep square leg for a boundary. Arshdeep then got rid of Inglis for 1 off 7 balls. He bowled the length delivery swinging it down the leg side. The keeper batter’s eyes lit up as soon as he saw it as Inglis bent low a tad to pick up a shot and whipped it high in the air behind square on the leg side but failed to get enough connection as the ball went to Axar Patel at deep backward square leg. Tim David came out to bat and got off the mark by playing the drive through extra cover and mid-off for a boundary.
Bumrah continued as David smashed the ball through the covers for a boundary. Varun Chakaravarthy came onto bowl next inside the powerplay. David welcomed him by slapping it through point and cover for a boundary. David then launched Varun over long-off down the ground for the maximum. Bumrah continued and a big moment in the game came when Tim David was dropped by Washington Sundar at backward point while he was batting on 20 and this proved to be a costly miss. David added salt to the wounds as he smashed it over covers for a boundary.
At the end of the powerplay, Australia were 43/2 and off to a decent start after being asked to bat first.
David makes India pay with whirlwind innings; India chips away at wickets as well.Â
Axar Patel came into the attack post the powerplay as David reached 100 sixes across formats by hitting it over extra cover for the maximum. David was on a roll and making India pay as he hammered down the ground off Axar for a 129 metre six down the ground. Shivam Dube came into the attack next and was welcomed with a boundary as David slapped him through backward point region. David then hit back-to-back fours off Dube first through front of square and then through deep third fielder. David got to his fifty off 23 balls and the 50-run stand came up between him and Marsh.
Varun returned to the attack and got rid of Marsh for 10 off 14 balls with one four to his name. Varun bowled fuller and around the 4th stump line. The batter swung hard and aimed to tonk it over long-off but miscued to Tilak Varma who took the catch. Mitchell Owen came and went first ball as Varun had 2 in 2 balls. Varun bowled fuller than good length googly that turned into the off and middle stump line sharply. Owen failed to read the googly and played the wrong line. He went for the cut and the ball sneaked past the inside edge of the blade to rattle the stumps. Marcus Stoinis came out to bat and negotiated the hat-trick ball by getting off the mark.
Axar continued as Stoinis reverse swept it to deep fine leg for a boundary. Australia were 84/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings. Varun continued as David danced down the track and stayed leg side to throw the kitchen sink at it. He went through with the shot and sliced it powerfully over extra cover for the maximum. David launched Varun by hitting him downtown over the bowler’s head for the maximum.
Axar continued as David threw his hands at it and lofted it over covers for a boundary. The 100 came up for Australia in 12 overs. Dube returned to the bowling crease as Marcus picked up the ball and clobbered a pull shot deep into the midwicket stands for the maximum. Stoinis went again and whipped the full toss over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Dube finally gave something to cheer about for India as he removed Dube for 74 off 38 balls with 8 fours and 5 sixes to his name.
Dube bowled full on the off-stump as David cleared his front leg and looked to smash it down the ground. The bat turned in its hands on impact as he sliced it off the toe end to the left of long-off. Varma rushed across from long-off and kept his eyes on the ball to take the catch above his head with a small leap. Matthew Short came out to bat next. Axar continued as Stoinis got down on one knee and opted for a reverse sweep between the keeper and short third man for a boundary.
Varun continued as Stoinis pounced on the width offered as he rocked back and slapped it through the gap between deep point and backward point for a cracking boundary. Varun ended his spell as Australia reached a healthy 130/5 in 15 overs.
Late flourish led by Marcus Stoinis powers Australia to 186/6 in 20 overs.Â
Abhishek Sharma came into the attack now. Short smashed him by going down on one knee and went for a big slog sweep and miscued it high over midwicket for the maximum. Matthew Short once again hit Abhishek for a boundary by getting down one knee and smoked it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Dube continued as Stoinis slapped him in front of square as the ball raced away to the fence. The 150 came up for the Aussies in 16.4 overs. Short swiped powerfully through midwicket for a boundary.
Arshdeep returned and almost got a wicket, but Rinku could not take the catch cleanly as Stoinis survived a scare. Arshdeep bowled a low full toss outside off-stump as Stoinis opened the bat face and used the pace of the bowler to slice it away behind square for a boundary. Stoinis then brought up his fifty in 32 balls by slicing it past diving backward point for a boundary. Stoinis did it again as he used the pace of the bowler and ramped it over the keeper for a boundary.
Bumrah continued and bowled a decent 19th over to finish his spell. Arshdeep bowled the final over as Stoinis cleared his front leg and reached for it and powered it off the bottom of the bat and sliced it past deep cover point for a boundary. Arshdeep then got rid of Stoinis for 64 off 39 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Arshdeep bowled a low full toss on the fourth off-stump line. Stoinis went deep in his crease but failed to get underneath it and swung hard to slog it over long-on but dragged it to wide long-on where Rinku took the catch. Xavier Bartlett came out to bat next.
In the end, Australia ended with 186/6 in 20 overs with Short unbeaten on 26 off 15 balls with 2 fours and one six to her name while Bartlett was unbeaten on 3 off 2 balls. Just 2 extras given by India. It was a mixed bag performance from Indian bowlers. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with 3/34 in 4 overs. Varun Chakaravarthy chipped in with 2/33 in 4 overs. Shivam Dube picked up 1/43 in 3 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 0/26 in 4 overs. Axar Patel gave away 35 runs in 4 overs. Abhishek Sharma gave 13 in his only over. India now need a mammoth 187 to win and level the series 1-1.
Who’s Winning, India or Australia?Â
Australia have got a substantial total on the board. The pitch at Hobart is a decent pitch to bat on and chasing can be done. But India has to bat well to get to 187 which they can but have to bat a lot better than what they did in Melbourne. Australia with a slight edge as they have got runs on the board. Let us see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read:Â AUS vs IND: Australia Draw First Blood In The Series With Convincing Win