Ind vs Aus: Kohli, Surya lead India to series victory against Australia
The full capacity crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad was treated to Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive batting and Virat Kohli’s measured innings that saw India clinch the three-match T20 series 2-1 with a six-wicket victory over Australia at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Chasing Australia’s 187-run target, thanks to half-centuries from Cameron Green (52 off 21; 7×4, 3×6) and Tim David (54 off 27; 2×4, 4×6), India rode on Suryakumar’s 36-ball 69 (5×4, 5×6) and Kohli’s 48-ball 63 (3×4, 4×6) knocks to reach the target with a ball to spare. Both added 104 runs for the third wicket that paved the way for the comfortable victory.
With 11 required off the final over, Kohli hit Daniel Sams to a six off the first ball to settle the nerves. Though he was caught off the next ball, Pandya hit a boundary off the fifth ball to seal the deal. Chasing the target, India didn’t have the best of starts as they lost KL Rahul (1) in the very first over when he top-edged Sams to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
Captain Rohit Sharma (17 from 14; 2×4, 1×6) looked good with a six and hit a couple of boundaries before he perished to his favourite pull shot off Pat Cummins which reduced India to 30/2.
But Kohli looked in his vintage best when he smacked Hazlewood into deep mid-wicket for a six and lofted him over covers for a boundary to take India to 50/2 in the powerplay. Kohli got a reprieve when he was dropped by Adam Zampa when on 24. Suryakumar Yadav, who joined Kohli at the other end, hit Maxwell for consecutive boundaries.
Surya’s range of strokes were on display as he overtook his senior partner and whacked Zampa for consecutive sixes to reach his half-century. He then hit six and four off Hazlewood but he fell in the same over after he was caught at the long on. Kohli then took control of the chase. He reached his fifty in 37 balls. With Pandya, he took India to the touching distance before falling in the final over with Indian needing four runs for victory.
Earlier, asked to bat first, Australia were off to a flyer with Green smashing a scintillating half-century. Green spared no Indian bowler in the powerplay. Green took Jasprit Bumrah to the liking hitting a four and two sixes in the innings’ third over. In-form Axar Patel broke the opening stand when he dismissed Aaron Finch (7 from 6; 1×4) who went for an expensive shot only to give a simple catch to Hardik Pandya at mid-wicket. However, Green hit three consecutive fours on the next three deliveries to take his team to 50 in the fourth over.
He reached his half-century in just 19 deliveries in the innings’ fifth over. But he top-edged Bhuvneshwar Kumar to point three balls later as the visitors reached 66/2 in powerplay with Glenn Maxwell managing just a boundary in the sixth over.
Glenn Maxwell’s (6 from 11) bizarre run out by Axar Patel and Steve Smith’s dismissals – stumping off Yuzvendra Chahal – saw Australia reduced from a commanding 66/2 to 86/4 in 10 overs. Axar further pushed the visitors on the backfoot when he dismissed Inglis (24 off 22; 3×4) and in-form Matthew Wade with a caught and bowled in his final over as Australia were reduced to 117/6 in 14 overs.
However, Tim David took the fight to the opposition camp. Bhuvi conceded 21 runs in the 18th while Bumrah leaked 18 in the 19th to let Australia off the hook. David reached his fifty with a six off Harshal Patel in the 20th over but perished when he was caught by Rohit in the final over.
