IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Cameron Green, Matthew Wade spoil Hardik Pandya’s party
Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch promised entertainment and aggression before the match. And the jampacked crowd at IS Bindra PCA Stadium was provided both as Australia overhauled a score of 208 with four balls to spare to beat India by four wickets in the first of three T20Is.
Matthew Wade, who played a vital role in his team’s T20 World Cup semi-final win over Pakistan in Dubai last year, showed why he is so valuable for his team in the game’s shortest format.
With 64 needed in 35 balls, Australia were second favourites in the match, but the 62-run stand for the sixth wicket between Wade and debutant Tim David turned the tide in favour of the visitors. Wade remained unbeaten on 45 off 21 balls.
Earlier, Australia captain Aaron Finch pulled a rabbit out of his hat by promoting all-rounder Cameron Green, who had never opened in senior cricket before, to the top of the order as his partner. Green, playing only his second T20I, smoked a 30-ball 61, which was studded with eight fours and four sixes. He did get a reprieve on 42, when Axar Patel put down a simple catch, but the youngster put the Aussies on the path to chasing down the formidable target.
The 70-run stand for the second wicket between Green and Steve Smith kept Australia in the game. But once Axar – who had a great night with the ball – dismissed Green, Australia lost momentum before Wade took the baton and saw them over the finish line.
Dinesh Karthik was picked ahead of Rishabh Pant as a finisher, but Hardik Pandya stole the show for India with a blistering knock. He completed a 25-ball fifty, only his second in T20Is, with a delightful late cut.
Pandya showed his full range of shots. He pulled, cut, drove, and played shots on both sides of the wicket and was at his destructive best. Green was pasted for 21 runs in the final over of the innings, the last three balls dispatched over the rope. Pandya remained unbeaten on 71 off just 30 deliveries, including seven fours and five sixes. He kept his foot on the pedal despite India losing wickets at the other end.
His turbocharged knock ensured India finished the innings at 208 for 6 in 20 overs.
A day after shrugging off the strike rate debate, KL Rahul showed intent on a belter of a track in Mohali. He lost his senior partners (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) at the other end, but shed the accumulator tag during his 32-ball fifty.
Rahul started tentatively after Josh Hazlewood beat him with a jaffa, but then upped the tempo. The Australian did help his cause by bowling on his pads, and the Indian opener made the most of the gifts.
Hazlewood finally had Rahul as he holed out to Nathan Ellis at deep square. He lost his shape, failed to read the knuckle ball, and whipped it straight to the fielder.
Surya — all swag, no sweat
Suryakumar Yadav missed out on a well-deserved half-century, showing again why he will be one of India’s trump cards in the T20 World Cup.
