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Match Preview: Adelaide: India will seek to reverse their One-Day International blues and hit upon some form ahead of the World Cup Twenty20 when they face Australia in the first T20 International of a three-match series here at the Adelaide Oval ground on Tuesday. India go into the series after suffering a 1-4 defeat in the One-Day series. They are to host the World T20 from March 8 to April 3. India will take on New Zealand in the opening match of their campaign on March 15 at Nagpur. They were dominated in the first four matches, but avoided a whitewash after chasing down a mammoth target of 331 runs in Sydney in the final match. [caption id=“attachment_2598930” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
MS Dhoni in action against Australia. Getty[/caption] The team looked short on experience in the ODI series, losing from positions of strength on several occasions. But they will be boosted with the inclusion of experienced trio, left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Ashish Nehra. They are expected to be named in the final XI on Tuesday. Besides them, left-handed batsman Suresh Raina, who was dropped from the ODI squad will be waiting to prove himself once again after a successful domestic season. Raina led Uttar Pradesh to maiden glory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament recently. India’s bowling attack was hammered in all the five ODI matches and the team will hope Nehra uses all his vast experience to good effect in the T20 series. Young Japrit Bumrah, who made an impressive debut at Sydney, claiming two crucial wickets, is likely to feature in the bowling line-up alongside Nehra and Rishi Dhawan. Dhawan replaced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the series as he got ruled out due to a fractured left thumb. The batting line-up will be bolstered with the coming in of Yuvraj and Raina. They will add more firepower to the in-form trio Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli who were among runs in the ODIs. Australia is sweating on the fitness of their hard-hitting batsman Glenn Maxwell who is struggling with an injury. But they have enough batsmen in form to cover for his absence with David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh all among runs. All-rounder Shane Watson was included in the T20 squad after being dropped from the One-Dayers and he will be raring to give his all both with the ball and the bat. Pacer Shaun Tait has been recalled by Australia after an absence of almost five years and the 32-year-old will aim to use the conditions to good effect and mark a memorable comeback in international cricket. India who are currently ranked eighth have managed five wins out of nine matches against Australia in T20Is. India can claim the top spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I rankings if they make a clean sweep of the three-match series, which could serve as an added motivation for the M.S. Dhoni-led side. IANS
India vs Australia, 1st T20I as it happened: Bumrah finishes with 3 wickets, India win by 37 runs
Live updates from first T20I between India and Australia in Adelaide.
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So with that, that’s it for our live coverage of the First T20I. It’s been a great day for Indian sports fans. Hingi-Sania & Leander-Hingis won their matches at Australian Open, Indian women’s upset Aussies at the Adelaide Oval with a record run-chase and MS Dhoni’s men got off to a winning start too.
Join us on Friday for the 2nd T20I which will take place in Melbourne. Till then, adios!
Extra special Republic Day for Gujarat…..
OUT! Nehra gets the wicket he wanted on his comeback too! Clean bowled, Kane Richardson with a near-yorker. The match is mathematically out of Australia’s grips.
Australia need 38 balls from the last over
OUT! Faulkner hits a huge six off Bumrah’s first ball but comes back with a yorker to clean up Faulkner. Finishes the over with 4 singles, all great full length balls.
After 18 overs, Australia 147/8 (Richardson 7, Boyce 2)
OUT! Perhaps surprsingly Pandya gets another over, and he responds with another wicket off the first ball. Wade hits one that goes miles up in the sky, but Jadeja takes a neat catch at deep midwicket. Pandya has come back well. Seven from it but only because of an overthrow from Ashwin
After 17 overs, Australia 136/7 (Richardson 5, Faulkner 4)
Ashwin finishes spell with a 5-run over, for figures of 4-0-28-2. Good comeback after going for 11 in his first.
After 16 overs, Australia 129/6 (Wade 5, Faulkner 2)
OUT! Hardik Pandya was having a nightmare debut but salvages something out of it after a wicket off the last ball of his 2nd over – he is truly delighted. A brutal hit by Lynn to covers, where Yuvraj takes a sharp catch. That went like a bullet. 12 runs off the over though, thanks to a massive six by Lynn earlier
After 15 overs, Australia 124/6 (Wade 2)
OUT! Ashwin gets the big wicket in this situation as Watson falls trying to play the big shot – top-edges the sweep which is gobbled up by Nehra at fine leg. Just 4 runs and a wicket in that over. India right on top.
After 14 overs, Australia 112/5 (Lynn 8, Wade 1)
The piechucker is back! Yuvraj gets to bowl after all. What seemed a good over (some turn and bounce to beat Watson), the right hander hits one over square leg for a six. 10 from it, but less than the req’d rate. Jadeja finishes is superb spell, just five singles frm that over. 4 overs, 2 for 21
After 13 overs, Australia 108/4 (Lynn 6, Watson 11)
After 6 overs, Australia 56/1 (Finch 28, Smith 9)
India finally get a breakthough; the big wicket of David Warner. Bumrah has looked the pick of the lot among Indian bowlers. But another danger man walks in —Steve Smith. And he his quick off his boots, sending Bumrah to the ropes twice in the over.
OUT! Another strike and this Jadeja traps Travis Head in front off the last ball of his over. Great comeback by India. Just two runs and a wicket that over. The famous Dhoni choke in action.
After 11 overs, Australia 93/4 (Lynn 2, Watson 0)
OUT! India right back in this one. Ashwin comes back and strikes straight away. After a huge shout of the first ball for LBW, Finch plays the same shot again – misses it and is trapped in front. Question is whether it pitched outside leg (Ashwin bowling around the wicket), DRS says it is but looked good in real time.
After 10 overs, Australia 91/3 (Lynn 1, Head 1)
OUT! Jadeja strikes to remove the danger man Smith. He lobs to Kohli at short cover off the last ball of the over. Seven came off it, but the crucial breakthrough after a flying start.
After 8 overs, Australia 82/1 (Finch 38, Smith 20)
Not a start to remember for Hardik Pandya. A whopping 19 runs from that over! Starts with three wides down the leg side to Smith. Then Finch absolutely bludgeons one over cover for a six and Smith pulls one of the last ball for four. Couple more wides too.
After 8 overs, Australia 82/1 (Finch 38, Smith 20)
Jadeja into the attack. Typically quick over from the leftie, rushes through it in a blink of an eye. Good one too, seven from it and all in 1s and 2s. Australia will be happy with the start they have.
After 7 overs, Australia 63/1 (Finch 31, Smith 13)
After 6 overs, Australia 56/1 (Finch 28, Smith 9)
India finally get a breakthough; the big wicket of David Warner. Bumrah has looked the pick of the lot among Indian bowlers. But another danger man walks in —Steve Smith. And he his quick off his boots, sending Bumrah to the ropes twice in the over.
OUT! Warner c Kohli b Bumrah 17 (9b 2×4 1×6)
Bumrah gets the deswerved breakthrough, Warner pulls him to find Kohli at mid-on.
After 5 overs, Australia 47/0 (Finch 28, Warner 17)
Warner shuffles sideways and slashes Nehra over point for the first four of the over; Finch then slogs the veteran over mid off for another one. Runs flowing for the Aussies and Bumrah the only silver lining in the clouded Indian bowling attack
Jasprit Bumrah into the attack for the first time. And what a start by the youngster – just three runs off it. Starts off with a slight in-dipper that hurries on to Finch and a huge appeal for LBW ensues. Umpire says no, but that looked very close. Is beaten off the next ball too.
After 4 overs, Australia 37/0 (Finch 23, Warner 12)
No respect from Warner for Nehra. First a shortish ball, is hooked around off his hips for a four and then followed by a huge six over midwicket from a fuller ball. 12 runs from that over.
After 3 overs, Australia 34/0 (Finch 21, Warner 11)
Ashwin with a horror start. He tries to keep it slow and flighted, but Finch shows intent right from the first ball. Not a great shot to begin with, as he lofts one in no-man’s land. But gives room of the next ball and punches it over cover, then inside out off the last ball, for a huge six. One chance in that over, but Jadeja can’t reach a lofted shot from long-on.
After 2 overs, Australia 22/0 (Finch 20, Warner 0)
Nehra is pulled to the fine leg boundary for a four off the first ball, but recovers well to concede just a leg bye off the last ball. Good pace, working the angle. Welcome back, Nehra ji.
After 1 over, Australia 5/0 (Finch 4, Warner 0)
There it is! The tweet we have all been waiting for…..
His figures were 4-0-45-0. Fair to say,it was not his day.
MArk Waugh thought the par score was 165-170. Think this is enough, but with the bowling you never know.