Torrential rains across the country led to a wet outfield in Nagpur despite some overskies respite for Friday afternoon, which resulted in an eight-overs per side encounter between India and Australia in the second T20I, with the hosts coming out triumphant.
With the playing conditions permitting two overs max for four bowlers, teams made an adjustment to their line-ups from the first T20I. India brought in Rishabh Pant as their extra batter in place of seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar while drafting ace quick Jasprit Bumrah back for the struggling Umesh Yadav.
That helped India approach the six-hitting madness with all the gusto and intent, enabling a successful run-chase of Australia’s 90/5 in the space of 7.2 overs. It was led wonderfully by their skipper Rohit Sharma, who smashed pacer Josh Hazlewood for a pair of maximums in the very first over to make the Indian intentions clear. He went on to hit his way to an unbeaten 46 off just 20 balls, ending with 4 fours and 4 sixes.
India did lose their way for a brief time after losing KL Rahul (10) and Virat Kohli (11) following their initial cameos. But eventually, Rohit’s class and belligerence, combined with the end-overs excellence of Dinesh Karthik (10*) took the team home.
He dispatched left-arm seamer Daniel Sams for a six and a four to close out the proceedings at the beginning of the eighth over and triggered a wave of celebrations amongst the crowd as India levelled the three-match T20I series 1-1.
India might have been chasing a score 10 runs less than this if not another expensive over at the death from Harshal Patel, who was taken away for 19 by Australia’s rampaging end-overs aggressor Matthew Wade (43*). Harshal had another expensive outing with the ball, going for 0/32 off his 2 overs, with doubts emerging over his vulnerable ploy with the slow dippers and also on his spot in the side going forward.
Patel, as well as Yuzvendra Chahal, who could be entrusted to bowl only one over (0/12) for the night, remained India’s worries approaching the decider in Hyderabad on September 25. But the hosts will be pleased with the way Bumrah bowled on his comeback, looking more or less in rhythm through his spell (1/23). He wasn’t India’s biggest positive, though, a tag which Axar Patel deserves after another highly impressive performance with the ball.
India’s lone warrior with the ball in Mohali, he backed his exploits for the first T20I with figures of 2 for 13 off his 2 overs on a day where spinners were expected to be taken for plenty. The left-arm spinner used the dampness of the track to his benefit, getting the big wickets of Glenn Maxwell and Tim David.
Apart from Wade, none of the Australian batters bar skipper Aaron Finch (31) got going for the night. He was looking dangerous against the Indian attack till he was outdone by a scintillating yorker from Bumrah. The batter even applauded the pacer for his excellence as he walked off the ground.
Like India, Australia’s biggest positive for the night was also a spinner. Wristspinner Adam Zampa recovered from an iffy start to end with stellar figures of 3 for 16 off his 2 overs, including the prized scalps of Rahul, Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. That Australia could still not manage to exercise enough control was down to expensive outings by Hazlewood (0/20) and Sams (0/20), with even Pat Cummins (1/23) being taken for plenty.
Brief scores
Australia 90/5 in 8 overs (Wade 43*, Finch 31; Patel 2/13) lost to India 92/4 in 7.2 overs (Sharma 46*, Kohli 11; Zampa 3/16) by 6 wickets
