A strong bowling performance, coupled with a quickfire half-century by Virat Kohli helped India to a 37-run victory over Australia in the first Twenty20 International at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
Chasing 189, Australia started strongly before losing wickets at regular intervals to slump to 151 all out in 19.3 overs. Young pacer Jasprit Bumrah had a memorable T20I debut, returning figures of 3-23 in 3.3 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja (2-21), Ravichandran Ashwin (2-28) and another debutant, Hardik Pandya (2-37) also bagged a couple of wickets each as India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Ashish Nehra (1-28) gave away a lot of runs in his first spell before clinching a wicket towards the end.
Earlier, Kohli stitched together a 134-run stand with Suresh Raina which brought the Indian innings back on track after the visitors had suffered a couple of early blows.
The Delhi batsman remained unbeaten on 90 runs, smashing nine fours and two sixes during his 55-ball stint. Raina batted well at the other end, scoring 41 runs off 34 deliveries with three hits to the fence and a six. The duo helped India post 188/3 in their 20 overs. Kohli was adjudged the man of the match.
Captain Aaron Finch was Australia’s highest scorer with 44. He had four boundaries and a couple of sixes in his 33-ball innings.
Put in to bat by Australia, India were off to a flying start with Rohit Sharma producing the early fireworks. The Mumbai right-hander took a special liking to Shaun Tait’s bowling, hitting the pacer for a six and a four in the first over and then another couple of boundaries in the third.
With opening pacers Tait and Kane Richardson unable to control the Indian batsmen, Australia captain Aaron Finch was forced to make a bowling change, bringing James Faulkner and Shane Watson into the attack.
Watson dismissed Shikhar Dhawan just four balls later with a slower, one as the Delhi batsman’s mistimed shot offered an edge to Matthew Wade behind the stumps.
That saw Kohli and Raina come together and they handled the Australian bowling with ease and by the time the partnership came to an end in the final over, they had already guided the visitors to a big score.
Pandey hundred gives India consolation victory
Earlier India chased 331 for the loss of four wickets and with two deliveries to spare on the back of Manish Pandey's first ODI hundred after sparkling fifties from Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma and denied Australia complete whitewash of India in the six match ODI series. Rohit soaked up the pressure and Pandey, in his fourth match, ensured their aborted innings did not hurt India, scoring an unbeaten 104 from 81 balls that was exciting both for the sizzling shots on view and the youngster's composure. His special effort sealed the highest successful chase in and against Australia, as well as India's first win in six ODIs.
As the boundaries dried up in the last few overs, the asking rate soared towards 12. A five-run 47th was followed by 13 off Mitchell Marsh in the 48th, leaving India to chase 22 from 12 balls. That ended up being 13 off six, with MS Dhoni to take strike on 28 from 40. Mitchell Marsh, whose maiden hundred had helped Australia to 331, was given the last over and served up a full toss that Dhoni deposited over long-off for six. Next ball, Dhoni tried the shot again and was caught but Pandey, on 98, held his nerve in such excruciating circumstances to seal a pulsating win. The third ball of Marsh's final over was dabbed to third man for the boundary Pandey needed for his hundred, and victory came off the next as he bunted a couple over mid-off's head.
The path to this win was paved by a 123-run start powered by Dhawan (78 off 56 balls) and continued through the 97 that Rohit put on with Pandey, who only got a chance because of Ajinkya Rahane's injury.
