India vs Australia 1st T20: India lost by 3 wickets to Australia in Vizag. (Source: AP) India vs Australia 1st T20: India lost by 3 wickets to Australia in Vizag. (Source: AP) India vs Australia, Ind vs Aus 1st T20: What an absolute belter of a game to start off the limited overs series between India and Australia in Vizag. In the first T20I of the series, Australia beat India by 3 wickets but needed a last over flourish – 16 runs from six balls – including two runs from the final ball to go over the finishing line. Earlier, Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short put together 84 runs in chase of a paltry 127 runs but the former’s dismissal led to drop in flow of runs. To make things tougher for the visitors, they lost wickets at regular intervals too. In the first innings, India had a similar scenario with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul putting together a stand at the top of the order but none of the middle order batsmen chipped in. MS Dhoni anchored the inning once again to take India to what turned out to be a competitive total.<doc-sep>What a humdinger of a game we have had here. The Australians had almost lost it from a perfect position but then stolen the game from the jaws of defeat. 14 runs off the last over and 2 off the last ball has ensured that the visitors have taken an unassailable lead in this 2-game ODI series. Take a bow, Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins to have won the game from where it looked like India were favorites. Nevertheless though, this game should have not come so far till the last ball of the match. The Aussies began really poorly in the chase as they were two down with just 5 runs on the board. But what followed was exceptional hitting from Maxwell and Short as they took their team to a winning position with an 84-run stand. There again swung the pendulum as the wicket of Maxwell fell. The Aussies seemed like they pressed the panic button as the following batsmen went in a procession and the runs were drying up. Bumrah bowled an outstanding 19th over and left Umesh with 13 to defend off the last. Two boundaries and two couples in the final over though helped the visitors cross the line and win the game by 3 wickets. An absolute thriller but the away team came away as deserved winners.<doc-sep>Glenn Maxwell top-scored for Australia, making 56 off 43 balls, but his wicket triggered a mini collapse. (PTI) Glenn Maxwell top-scored for Australia, making 56 off 43 balls, but his wicket triggered a mini collapse. (PTI) “How hard has Australia made this? Unbelievable. It started to sink when Glenn Maxwell got out,” Mathew Hayden was morose, almost sighing on air with two overs left in the chase. He was absolutely spot on. This Australian batting is an iffy, bumbling, nervy, wobbly unit that can combust at the slightest hint of spark in the opposition. It was telling that they just about managed to cross over because two fast bowlers were in the middle, and who showed some common sense and pluck to just about limp over the line off the last ball. What this close-loss would have meant for India, and other teams around the world for that matter, is that you are never ever out of a game when Australians are chasing – keep running in, keep squeezing in the pressure with some dot balls, and let the claustrophobia trigger in a panic. Chasing 127, Australia were cruising at 89 in little over 13 overs when Maxwell became the third wicket to fall – chasing a clever legbreak from Yuzvendra Chahal that started from outside off and broke further away. With the instinct of a showman, Maxwell went for the big one but ended up slicing it high to long-off. Then clammy hands and chaotic headspace seized Australia as they contrived to slip to a position where they needed 13 from the last over. Luckily for them, two things happened: the wiser heads of fast bowlers in Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson were in and Umesh Yadav had to bowl that final over. KL Rahul made a fifty on Team India return. (AP) “Get that long-on in!” screamed Sunil Gavaskar just before the last ball. It was a wise call but MS Dhoni, who was making all the field calls at that point, and Virat Kohli, turning grumpier by the second at deep midwicket, didn’t do it. It was the most sensible move – if not in the circle at least three-fourths to the boundary to cut off the possible second run. Especially, when the last ball was going to be really full and on the stumps as Yadav had attempted. But the man was too deep and the batsmen completed the two runs to finish the job. Did Dhoni’s decision not to take singles at the end of Indian innings, with Chahal on the other end, also play a part in the final denouement? You would have to be a hardcore Dhoni fan to ignore it. Especially when he was struggling to connect with his attempted hits. The last few overs were a blur of heaves-and-misses or Dhoni just standing there, refusing singles. It was easy to see why he was doing it – no confidence in Chahal and the batsmen to follow but considering Chahal was batting at No.9, that decision had to be taken. He could have perhaps started to deny singles for the last two batsmen. But it was one of those in-the-heat-of-the-moment decisions and Dhoni obviously knows and doesn’t rate the batting skills of the last three batsmen. But it did cost a few runs in the end. Not just denying singles but also his struggles with the big hits. Jasprit Bumrah grabbed three wickets for 17 and delivered a spectacular penultimate over. (AP) Jasprit Bumrah grabbed three wickets for 17 and delivered a spectacular penultimate over. (AP) Dhoni has to do bring about at least one change in his game when it comes to power-hitting. His attempted on-side heaves aren’t coming off consistently these days as more often than not he seems to be rather late on the ball. He needs to find a way to try hitting through the off side. He did once, slicing a lovely six over covers in the last over — it isn’t a shot that he plays normally but it’s something he has to think about more. Else the fast bowlers tie him with deliveries on the stumps, getting it to skid off back of length and not giving him anything full. As of now, his offside scoring shot is the one he chops down on the ball through backward point in hope of getting two runs. Opponents have begun to place that deep backward point fielder more squarer for him to cut off the boundary. But India lost the game even before Dhoni’s attempted slogs. What happens when batsmen are thinking about a possible spot in the World Cup and forget the micro picture of here and now? Especially, when the team’s selection too, understandably at this point, is geared to test out who can clinch the few remaining spots for the big tournament. The match was lost when the Indian batsmen chose to keep going for the shots when some cricket smarts were required, especially considering the lack of lower-order batsmen in the team. In 4.2 overs — from 8.4 to 13 overs – the batsmen kept going for their shots, kept failing and dragged India into a hole. The pitch was slow and a touch spongy — sort of where the ball holds up a bit occasionally. Almost immediately, the ideal length for pacers was clear: short of a length and see if you can cut it in a bit. Glenn Maxwell top-scored for Australia in the win in Vizag. (Source: PTI Glenn Maxwell top-scored for Australia in the win in Vizag. (Source: PTI Meltdown after Maxwell As it turned out, Australian batsmen found themselves in strife after Maxwell got out in the chase. Maxwell is an interesting character. A perfect way how the world (outside Australia) see him and how Australians sweat about him came in a nice interaction between Sanjay Manjrekar and Hayden. Even as Hayden talked about how he wishes Maxwell would learn to control himself and learn to finish a game, Manjrekar went, “But he wouldn’t be Maxwell then?<doc-sep>Nathan Coulter-Nile, Man of the Match I thought the boys bowled really well and we scraped home. We worked out quickly that the ball was not coming on to the bat. We have been playing a bit of cricket in the BBL.Really good to have a win and hopefully we will have another one and win the series. Aaron Finch speaks I think on that wicket, it got lower and slower. The run-outs did not help but great to get the win. We were able to get some reverse and were bowling into the wicket. These guys are getting more and more experienced. Nathan is a wicket-taker. He has been very consistent in the IPL as well. Kohli speaks In the first innings, we were not up to scratch. With the bowling effort we were pleased. Bumrah did exceptionally well to get us in the game. And Mayank did well in the middle overs as well. We want to give game time to Rahul and Pant. 150 would have been a winning score. Australia deserved to win as they played better than us. Australia win Bumrah set it up perfectly for Umesh. He had 14 to defend and he could not, Australia have absolutely taken this match to the wire and then won it. It was a real humdinger, Maxwell was the key, but once he got out, India made a roaring comeback and Australia were back under pressure. But then Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins ran hard and scored 2 boundaries off the final over to go 1 up in the series Bumrah...genius 2 wickets in that over and now Australia need 14 in the final over. Umesh Yadav will have to defend these runs. Who will hold their nerves better? Turner is castled The dot balls built pressure and Ashton Turner wanted to paddle one full ball away to fine leg and has missed it altogether and is castled. India have found the belief they need right now. Australia need to be sensible D’Arcy is Short of his crease Not very smart from Australia. Short has been sold down the river by Handscomb and Short is nowhere close to making his ground. India have found something to cling on to here Maxwell departs Fullish ball on off which turned away, Maxwell wanted to smack it over the top, miscues it and is caught by KL Rahul at long off quite comfortably Good partnership for Australia Maxwell and Short are doing it pretty easily at the moment for Australia. India need a whole heap of wickets pretty quickly India need wickets This is a good passage of play for Australia, India need to keep picking up wickets at regular intervals. Maxwell is absolute key right now End of the powerplay Maxwell has had a big impact on this game already. Australia have motored along to 41/2 in 6 overs and Maxwell looks to be in the mood Maxwell on the move This is great counter-attacking cricket from Maxwell. He has biffed Umesh for three boundaries and has already has 4 boundaries against his name. Is this a pitch for India’s spinners? Finch departs Jasprit Bumrah bowls an in ducker and it traps Aaron Finch in front. Given out on field and DRS says umpire’s call. Great start for India, the crowd has found its voice once again Stoinis falls short Short turns a length ball to fine leg and Stoinis takes off from the non-striker’s end and Umesh fields the ball and fires in a throw. Chahal breaks the stumps and Stoinis is just short Bumrah with the new ball Short and Stoinis walk out to face the new ball. Bumrah is on the money with his first 3 balls. India need quick wickets in this powerplay if they have to have any chance of defending this total Dhoni slogged, Dhoni missed India finish with 126/7 in their 20 overs. Great bowling performance by the Australians, they were put under some early pressure by KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. However, they stuck to their tasks and kept chipping away at the wickets as India never found any momentum after Rahul’s dismissal. Can the bowlers pull this one? Dhoni holds the key Chahal is at the other end which has forced Dhoni to refuse singles, he has to deal in even numbers right now and then look for boundaries. Australia in command and this batting order is certainly not helping India’s cause right now Cummins gets Umesh The wickets continue to tumble, Pat Cummins has trapped Umesh Yadav bang in front of the stumps. No review taken as India slip further intro trouble Krunal dismissed Krunal Pandya departs, wants to pull Coulter-Nile away, top edges it and Glenn Maxwell takes the catch at point. It was not short enough to be pulled away Karthik bowled Nathan Coulter-Nile has got one length ball to nip back in, Karthik is on the move, looks to drive, ball snakes between bat and pad and smashes the stumps. Brilliant ball, and India slip into trouble Rahul departs Now this is a big blow for India, Rahul looks to time a full ball over mid off, gets the toe end of the bat and is caught at mid off. India need a partnership right now, this score is not going anywhere as of now 50 for KL Rahul Good return for Kl Rahul, he has looked fluent from the word go and now has a 50 to show for his efforts. He has to bat deep for India to score a par total Pant run out Pant came down the track to a wide ball, slapped it to point, Jason Behrendorff dives and stops the ball and then flicks it to Handscomb who takes off the bails. He has to walk back The Kohli record The Indian cricket team skipper was able to achieve the milestone in the fifth over of the encounter as he slammed Nathan Coulter Nile for a four through mid-wicket as India tried to steady the innings after losing Rohit Sharma. Read more about the feat here. Kohli departs<doc-sep>
India captain Virat Kohli wasn’t perturbed by his team’s shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International as he is looking to give more chances to youngsters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead at the World Cup in England. Rahul made an impressive half-century on his comeback but Pant was needlessly run-out during India’s three-wicket defeat against Australia in the first T20 International. Chasing a target of 127, Australia were cruising along before Jasprit Bumrah’s (3/16 in 4 overs) brilliant 19th over nearly won the game for India. ALSO READ:Glenn Maxwell, bowlers overcome brilliant Bumrah to clinch 1st T20I in humdinger “We want to give Rahul and Rishabh more game-time. Rahul played a really good knock and we had a good partnership. Had we gone on, we could have got 150, which would have been a match-winning score on this pitch. But Australia played better cricket overall and deserved to win,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. However, he didn’t forget to praise his bowlers for making a match of a low target like 127. “Very pleased with the bowling effort. Never thought we would be in this situation but Bumrah can do wonders when the ball is reversing. Even Mayank (Markande) bowled brilliantly (17th over), I thought,” said Kohli. Winning captain Aaron Finch also conceded that facing Bumrah in the death overs is not an easy proposition. “When Bumrah has got overs up his sleeve, it’s never easy. But the run-outs didn’t help either. Maxwell played a hell of an innings on a difficult pitch,” Finch lauded the senior batsman. Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with figures of three for 26, felt that the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat. “I thought the boys bowled really well and we scraped home. We worked out quickly that the ball was not coming on to the bat. We have been playing a bit of cricket in the BBL. Really good to have a win and hopefully we will have another one and win the series,” said Coulter-Nile.