IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Australia 211 for 6 (Green 61, Wade 45*, Axar 3-17) beat India 208 for 6 (Hardik 71*, Rahul 55, Ellis 3-30) by four wickets

Cameron Green blitzed a 26-ball half-century in his first innings as an opener in professional cricket and Matthew Wade gave the finishing boost as Australia chased down 209 on a flat pitch, in Mohali to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Green released some Mitchell Marsh-style slog-sweeps during his 30-ball 61 to lay the stage for Australia’s tall chase. Axar Patel then, at that point, applied the brakes on Australia with figures of 3 for 17 in his four overs – he was the only bowler to go at under seven an over on the day – however Wade advanced in the end overs to ice the chase, with four balls and four wickets to spare.

It was Australia’s second-highest successful chase in T20I cricket. They made Jasprit Bumrah-less India pay for their lax fielding – they dropped no less than three possibilities – and death bowling, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel finished with combined figures of 8-0-101-0

HIGHLIGHTS

India stay consistent with their attacking approach

Although both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell early, India continued attacking through  KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Rahul assumed the speed of Josh Hazlewood and Green while Suryakumar took out 22 runs off nine balls from leg spinner Adam Zampa.

Rahul proceeded to score a half-century off 32 balls in the eleventh over, yet in the next over, Hazlewood got back to dismiss him. Suryakumar unfurled some stunning pick-up shots and punches before Green found extra bounce and cut his innings off at 46 off 25 balls.

Pandya-monium

The tranquil track, a lightning-fast outfield and staggering ball-striking shaped the elements of a Hardik special. He hit an unbeaten 71 off 30 balls to lead India past 200.

He set to work with a clubbed six over midwicket off Green in the fourteenth over and continued to squeeze yorkers – or close to yorkers – away for fours. That he frequently fluttered around the crease also threw bowlers off their lengths. He achieved his own fifty off 25 balls toward the end of the nineteenth over and with just No.8 Harshal for company, he cultivated the strike in the last over and finished off the innings with 6,6,6.

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The Endgame

Green’s excusal triggered a wobble as Australia lost three wickets for 14 runs in 12 balls. When Josh Inglis was bowled by Axar, Australia actually required 64 off 35 balls. Wade alone hit 45 off 29 balls, to uncover India’s death bowling, providing a throwback to his heroics against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year in the UAE. 

At one phase, it appeared as though Wade would polish the game off with Tim David after having given David his first Australia cap. However, David fell attempting to clear the boundary. Pat Cummins got the work done with a four off the next ball.