IND vs AUS 4th T20I: Spin Masters Patel, Sundar Lead India To 48 Run-Win & Take 2–1 Lead
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Axar Patel and Washington Sundar led India’s spin charge as the visitors defended 167 with ease, sealing a commanding 48-run win in Carrara, writes Harsh Pareek.
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THE INDIAN BOWLING line-up, especially the spin, took centre stage as the visitors went 2-1 up in the T20I series, with just one game remaining.
In a rare T20I outing on the Gold Coast, both Australia and India were looking to take advantage in a series tied up 1-1, with only one other game remaining. And with the Ashes squad reveal just the day before — dominating much of the conversation — the hosts were all set to make several changes to their line-up.
India once again lost the coin toss, but the visitors were happy enough with Australia's decision to field first in this fourth outing in Carrara. |
India named an unchanged side after their win in Hobart just a few days back , and as for Australia, Adam Zampa returned to replace Matt Kuhnemann, left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis was also returning from injury, taking the place of Sean Abbott (off to prepare for the Ashes), and Mitch Owen was left out with Josh Philippe getting a place in the middle order. Also back was Glenn Maxwell, who had been out with a broken wrist and was expected to resume in Hobart itself, but didn't end up making an appearance there. India opened with an immediate scare as Abhishek Sharma was dropped on the second ball of the innings. Not quite off to a flying start, as is usually the case, Sharma played cautiously as Shubman Gill took charge and looked his best in the series so far. In almost a role reversal, it was Sharma playing the role of an anchor today, and Gill taking on Australia's pace attack at the start. The hosts did well to keep the openers in check, especially the ever-dangerous Sharma, but the two men at the centre did well to build at a steady pace, seeing off the powerplay with 49 for no loss. But Adam Zampa was introduced in the seventh over, and immediately found success as Sharma’s out-of-sorts innings came to an end with a mishit off a googly, caught by Tim David at long-on. |
Shivam Dube walked out as India reached the halfway mark of the innings with a modest 7.50 run rate. Nathan Ellis — who once again would prove himself to be the hosts’ best bowler of the night — was the next one to find success as he bowled the new batsman, tangling Dube up at the crease in the 12th over for 22 off 18 deliveries. WATCH | Highlights from IND vs AUS 4th T20I here With Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav next in line, India had much batting left in the bag, but were running out of balls, unable to shift into a high gear. Yadav came out all guns blazing, and it looked like India were finally ready to hit the gas, but once again it would be Ellis to break the visitors’ rhythm, bagging his second in Gill (46 off 39) on the first ball of the 15th over. From thereon, there were steady streams of Indian wickets falling. The first ball of the 16th oversaw Yadav depart for 20 off 10 — yet another disappointing outing for the captain — and the first of the 17th had Tilak Varma's name on it. Three back-to-back overs where India lost a wicket on the very first delivery. You don't see many of those. |
From thereon, India's wickets fell like clockwork, with only Axar Patel managing a decent 21 from 12 balls. India concluded their innings 167 for 8 wickets, managing to play out all the overs, but never quite hitting the ground running, thanks to regular breakthroughs by Ellis and Zampa. Nevertheless, this would prove more than enough for the visitors. For Australia, with the absence of big-hitter Travis Head, Matthew Short returned to his preferred opening spot alongside skipper Mitchell Marsh, and the hosts too came to the crease with a bang. For a moment, it looked like Australia would sail to a relatively straightforward victory before India decided to introduce spin early in the fourth over. It would be one of the many inspired calls by Yadav this night. Patel broke through in the fifth over, catching Short lbw for 25 off 19 balls. Australia stood 48 for 1 wicket after the power play. Marsh was dropped by Sharma on 21, but the damage would be limited. Patel would once again provide an important breakthrough, bagging Josh Inglis' wicket in the ninth over for 12 off 11. And with March getting caught at the boundary by Arshdeep Singh off only the second ball by Shivam Dube, Australia began to look wobbly at 70 for 3. |
And Dube was not done yet. Just as Tim David was beginning to do Tim David things in the middle, the power hitter caught one high on the bat and was caught by Yadav for 14 off 9 deliveries. India were chipping away at the wickets, and things were no longer looking so sure for the hosts. With Josh Philippe falling for 10 off 10 at the beginning of the 14th over, Australia increasingly felt trapped as India suffocated the remaining opposition. And there was to be no rescue act from Maxwell, who fell for only 2 runs, getting bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Things now hinged on Marcus Stoinis, but Washington Sundar would take care of him, along with Xavier Bartlett and Adam Zampa, and Australia would crumble , losing 6 wickets for 49 runs. Jasprit Bumrah would also join the party, getting Ben Dwarshuis with a dipping yorker on middle stump. India would win with a massive 48-run margin, going 2-1 up in the series. With this in the bag, India now can’t lose the series, but Australia can certainly draw it. That will be decided on the fifth and final T20I of the series in Brisbane this Saturday. IND vs AUS matches come to you live and exclusive on JioHotstar, with an OTTplay Premium subscription for only Rs 149 per month. Don’t miss a minute! |
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