Axar Patel put in an all-round display with bat and ball as it helped India easily beat Australia by 48 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series with one game to spare. Axar Patel contributed handy runs with the bat and was exceptional with the ball as well as India put in a good performance. Put into bat first, Shubman Gill made 46 off 39 balls while others chipped in including Axar as India made 167/8 in 20 overs with Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa picking 3 wickets each.
In reply, Australia started promisingly but faded away quickly for 119 in 18.2 overs as Axar Patel picked up 2 wickets while Washington Sundar coming late into bowl picked up 3 wickets and all the others also got wickets. It meant a close game became rather one-sided as India thrashed Australia to take an unbeatable 2-1 lead.
Nathan Ellis & Adam Zampa’s 3-wicket hauls restricts India to 167/8 in 20 overs.Â
Put into bat first, Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill came out to bat for India while Ben Dwarshuis had ball in hand for Australia. Abhishek got a lifeline early on as Bartlett dropped the catch running in from backward point. Xavier Bartlett after dropping the catch had the ball in hand from the other end. Abhishek broke the shackles as he made room on the leg side and slapped it in front of square on the off-side for a boundary.
Dwarshuis continued as Gill went downtown over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Nathan Ellis came into the attack next as he was welcomed with a boundary from Gill by clipping it to deep fine leg. Gill then slapped him down the ground past mid-off for a boundary. Bartlett chanced ends as Gill used his feet to shimmy down the ground and flicked it to midwicket for a boundary.
Marcus Stoinis came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Abhishek hit him for a boundary by pulling it in front of square past deep square leg. Abhishek after being hit on the left shoulder recovered and ended the powerplay with a boundary as he stepped down and slapped it over extra cover. India were 49/0 at the end of the powerplay of 6 overs and off to a steady start.
Adam Zampa came into the attack post the powerplay as the 50-run stand came up between the two players and for the team in 6.1 overs. Abhishek shimmied down the track and launched Zampa over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Zampa soon removed the danger man Abhishek for 28 off 21 balls with 3 fours and one maximum to his name. Zampa tossed it up fuller on the middle stump. Abhishek cleared his front leg and looked to go big over deep midwicket. He didn’t get the timing right and the ball flew off the inside half of his blade to David at wide long-on who made no mistake.
Shivam Dube came out to bat at 3 and got off the mark as well. Stoinis continued and bowled a decent over. Dwarshuis returned to the attack as Dube slashed him away by cutting hard behind square in the off-side for a boundary. Bartlett returned to the bowling crease. He bowled a decent over as India at the halfway stage of the innings were decently placed at 75/1 in 10 overs.
Zampa returned for his second over as Dube broke the shackles by bending his back knee and thumping it over long-on for the maximum. Ellis returned to the fray. He struck getting rid of Dube for 22 off 18 balls with one four and one six to his name. Ellis bowled a hard length on the leg stump slower one off-cutter. Dube made room on the leg side and looked to whip it across the line and missed it as the ball brushed the back thigh pad before going onto hit the leg stump. Captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Zampa continued as Surya got down on one knee and went for the slog sweep to get a top edge over deep midwicket and long-on for the maximum, a flat hit for the maximum. SKY went again by going down on one knee and hammered it over deep midwicket for the maximum as the 100 came up for India in 12.4 overs. 18 runs came off the over.
Stoinis thought he had gotten rid of Gill as the umpire raised his finger. But Gill reviewed as there was a clear inside edge as the decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Gill then broke his shackles by clearing his front leg and smoking it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ellis came back into the attack and dismissed Gill for 46 off 39 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name. Ellis bowled on a length attacking the off-stump. Gill didn’t move his feet and looked to swipe across the line and went through the stroke way too early and missed it on the inside edge as the ball smashed the off-stumps. Tilak Varma came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
At the end of 15 overs, India were 125/3. Bartlett then removed Surya for 20 off 10 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Bartlett from over the wicket bowled a back of a length delivery on the stumps. Surya looked to set himself up on the back foot and played a pick up shot on the leg side. He pulled it without much timing as he miscued it high in the air to the left of deep forward square leg. Tim David ran across and took a fine high catch. Jitesh Sharma came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Bartlett finished his spell with excellent figures.
Zampa returned and removed Tilak for 5 off 6 balls. He bowled from over the wicket a fuller length around the off-stump, the leg break that dipped in front of Varma and bounced a shade. Varma sat down on one knee to go for the reverse sweep and was beaten on the bounce that Zampa extracted there. He got hit on the gloves as the ball lobbed up to Josh Inglis who took an easy catch. Washington Sundar came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary with an error in fielding.
Zampa then dismissed Jitesh for 3 off 4 balls thanks to great usage of DRS. He bowled it full on the middle and leg stump. Jitesh shuffled across and got down on one knee with a big lunge and looked to sweep it fine. The ball missed it onto his front thigh pad. The ball rolled to short fine leg. The appeal is turned down by the umpire. Australia sends it upstairs. Replays on ball tracking showed three reds and the decision was overturned to OUT. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Dwarshuis returned to the fray as Zampa finished his spell. Sundar took on the bowler by punching it past the extra cover fielder for a boundary. Axar managed to get a triple and brace in the over. Dwarshuis finished his spell as well. Ellis came to bowl the 19th over as the 150 came up for India in 18.1 overs. Ellis then removed Sundar for 12 off 7 balls with 2 fours to his name. Ellis bowled very full on the middle stump. Sundar was deep in the crease and cleared his front leg but failed to get underneath it as he looked to hit through the line and wanted to play lofted drive but failed to clear mid-off. Kuhnemann took the catch. Arshdeep Singh came out to bat next. Ellis finished the over and an excellent spell as well.
Stoinis came to bowl the final over of the innings. Axar took the attack to him by smashing a boundary through deep midwicket and long-on and in the very next ball he shuffled across and launched the ball high over deep square leg for the maximum. Stoinis then removed Arshdeep for a bronze duck. Stoinis bowled a slower ball full on the stumps, Arshdeep stayed leg side of it and swung for all money and lost his shape. He looked to slog and closed the bat face early and the big leading edge went to forward square leg region where Phillippe took the catch. Varun Chakaravarthy came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Axar managed a brace off the full toss to end the innings as he was unbeaten on 21 off 11 balls with one four and one six to his name. Varun remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball as India finished with a competitive 167/8 in 20 overs. 9 extras given by the fielding team.
Nathn Ellis was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 3/21 in 4 overs. Adam Zampa chipped in with 3/45 in 4 overs. Xavier Bartlett finished with 1/26 in 4 overs. Marcus Stoinis finished with 1/41 in 4 overs. Ben Dwarshuis finished with 0/31 in 4 overs. This meant that Australia needed 168 runs to win and take a 2-1 lead into the next game.
All-Round bowling performance led by Indian spinners skittled Australia out for 119 in 19.2 overs.Â
Chasing 168 for the win, captain Mitchell Marsh is out there with Matthew Short. Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Short got off the mark with a boundary by helping it on his way for a boundary. Jasprit Bumrah had ball in hand from the other end. Marsh hit the ball shaping away by opening the face of the bat and guided it down to third man for a boundary.
Arshdeep continued as Short picked it up by clearing the front leg by slog sweeping it over the umpire’s head for the maximum. Short then freed his arms and lofted it over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Marsh hit another boundary as the batter stood tall to swivel and went for the pull shot. He got a big top edge that flew into the gap between slips and short fine leg. Varun came into the attack inside the powerplay.
Short takes toll off the lose ball as the googly went away as the googly attempted again. The ball was short down the leg side. Short cleared his front leg and pulled it over square leg for the maximum. Axar Patel came into the attack as well. Axar got his reward immediately as Short was dismissed for 25 off 19 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name.
Axar bowled full on the off-stump. Short got down on one knee for a sweep and missed it on the inside edge as the ball hits the pads. Axar was also getting the ball to curve back in and this looked OUT as well. The three reds meant that the decision was out and the balance of power shifted again. Josh Inglis came out to bat at 3 and he got off the mark with a brace. Bumrah came back to bowl the final over of powerplay.
Inglis stood tall and slapped it towards the left of backward point for a boundary. Inglis once again took on Bumrah as he went deep in the crease and hoicked it past backward point and third man for a boundary. At the completion of powerplay in the chase, Australia were 48/1 in 6 overs. Axar continued after the powerplay. Marsh then hit a boundary by getting down on one knee and swept it hard to deep square leg where a misfield allowed another boundary. The 50 came up in 6,3 overs. India burnt a review against Inglis.
Varun returned to the attack for a fresh spell. Marsh was given a lifeline as Abhishek put down a tough chance at long-off to dive full length and could not hold on now. Axar continued as Marsh got down on one knee and swept it hard through square leg for a boundary. Axar hit back and got rid of Inglis for 12 off 11 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Axar bowled an arm ball outside the off-stump and saw the batter advance down the track. The bowler bowled it quicker and flatter as the batter looked to go big down the ground and missed it and the ball hit the off-stump. Tim David came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Shivam Dube came into the attack next. He removed the dangerous Mitchell Marsh for 30 off 24 balls with 4 fours to his name. Dube bowled an off-pace ball short around the off-stump. Marsh got low on the back foot and looked to go for a big pull and swung hard but was way too early into the shot as he dragged it to the right of deep backward square leg. Arshdeep ran to his right and took a good running catch. Josh Philippe came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway as the pull went away to vacant deep square leg region. After 10 overs, Australia were 77/3 in the chase.
Varun continued as David showed his power by rocking back and pulling it to forward square leg for a boundary. Dube continued as David went big by clearing his front leg and got underneath it to hoick it over cow corner for the maximum. But Dube hit back and got rid of David for 14 off 9 balls with one four and one six to his name. Dube bowled the short ball banged into the surface outside off-stump. David made room on the leg side and looked to pull but got beaten for pace on that occasion. He got a top edge that got straight up in the air as SKY settled underneath it at short extra cover. Marcus Stoinis came out to bat next.
He got off the mark with a boundary as he put away the short and wide ball outside off-stump through the point region. Axar continued and bowled a miserly over to finish his excellent spell. Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack and he remove Philippe for 10 off 10 balls with a boundary to his name. Arshdeep from over the wicket bowled good length on the middle stump. Philippe was half forward playing across the line and looked to clip it half-heartedly and chipped it towards midwicket where Varun took the catch at short midwicket by leaping and taking a catch above his head. Glenn Maxwell came out to bat next and got off the mark. Stoinis survived a close caught behind call as India rightly did not review it. Arshdeep bowled a great last over. Varun came back for another over as the 100 came up for Australia in 14,1 overs.
Varun soon dismissed Maxwell for the 6th time in T20Is. Varun bowled a googly full and outside the off-stump that spun back in as Maxwell made room and got down on one knee to slap it through the off-side. He was playing from his body and against the spin as well. The ball missed his cross batted shot on the inside edge as the ball smashed the off-stump. Ben Dwarshuis came out to bat next. India were 103/6 in 15 overs.
Bumrah returned for another spell as Stoinis pulled a short ball over deep midwicket for a boundary. Washington Sundar was given the ball the first time today. Sundar struck straightaway by dismissing Stoinis for 17 off 19 balls with 2 fours to its name. Sundar bowled it full and outside the off-stump. Stoinis premeditates and looked to play the reverse lap and got beaten on the inside edge and wore it high on the front pad. They sent it upstairs. But the decision was upheld as three reds were showing on ball tracking. Xavier Bartlett came out to bat next and fell first ball to a golden duck.
Sundar bowled a quicker good length delivery on the leg stump, Bartlett was easy to close his bat face on the flick across the line and got a leading edge to the left of the bowler. Nathan Ellis came and survived the hat-trick ball. Bumrah continued and cleaned up Dwarshuis for 5 off 7 balls. Bumrah from around the wicket bowled a slower Yorker on the base of leg stump. The ball dipped on Dwarshuis as he made room and slogged across the line to miss the trajectory of the ball and saw the ball cannoned into middle and leg stump. Adam Zampa came out to bat next.
Sundar had ball in hand as Ellis was put down by Gill as easy as it gets as the bowler went for a huge hit with the vice-captain dropping a sitter. But the next ball, Sundar got his 3rd as Zampa fell for a golden duck. Sundar bowled full and outside the off-stump that turned into the batter. Zampa got down on one knee and looked to go big and miscued it to Gill who this time took the catch. Ellis was unbeaten on 2 off 5 balls as Australia were bowled out for 119 in 18.2 overs. Just 2 extras given to that fielding side.