BRISBANE – Australia beat India by four runs in the first T20I at the Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday, taking the lead 1-0 in the three matches series.
Chasing a revised target of 174 after a rain interruption, India got off to a poor start, losing Rohit Sharma (7) early in the run chase. Shikhar Dhawan played a terrific 76-run knock but ran out of partners at the other end.
Chasing a stiff target, the batsmen succumbed under pressure. Wickets for the visitors kept tumbling at regular interval as India failed to pick up the momentum in the chase. Towards the end, Dinesh Karthik (30) and Rishabh Pant (20) played handy knocks but failed to take the team across the line.
Apart from Zampa, Marcus Stoinis also clinched 2 wickets in his three overs. Andrew Tye, Billy Stanlake and Jason Behrendorff took a wicket apiece helping Australia register a thrilling final over the win.
Maxwell scored 46 with a hat-trick of sixes. Stoinis’s played a quick knock, adding 33 runs in just 19 balls.
Australia skipper Aaron Finch too smashed quick 27 runs in 24 balls including three boundaries.
The second match of the three-match series will be played in Melbourne on Friday.
Scoreboard:
Australia Innings: D’Arcy Short c Kuldeep Yadav b Ahmed 7; Aaron Finch c Ahmed b Kuldeep Yadav 27; Chris Lynn c & b Kuldeep Yadav 37; Glenn Maxwell c Kumar b Bumrah 46; Marcus Stoinis not out 33; Ben McDermott not out 2. Extras: (B-1, W-5) 6
Total: (for 4 wickets in 17 overs) 158
Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-64, 3-75, 4-153
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-0-15-0, Jasprit Bumrah 3-0-21-1, Khaleel Ahmed 3-0-42-1, Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-24-2, Krunal Pandya 4-0-55-0
India Innings (target: 174 runs from 17 overs): Rohit Sharma c Finch b Behrendorff 7; Shikhar Dhawan c Behrendorff b Stanlake 76; KL Rahul st Carey b Zampa 13; Virat Kohli c Lynn b Zampa 4; Rishabh Pant c Behrendorff b Tye 20; Dinesh Karthik c Behrendorff b Stoinis 30; Krunal Pandya c Maxwell b Stoinis 2; Bhubneshwar Kumar not out 1; Kuldeep Yadav not out 4. Extras: (LB-3, NB-2, W-7) 12
Total: (for 7 wickets in 17 overs) 169
Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-81, 3-94, 4-105, 5-156, 6-163, 7-163
Bowling: Jason Behrendorff 4-0-43-1, Billy Stanlake 3-0-27-1, Andrew Tye 3-0-47-1, Adam Zampa 4-0-22-2, Marcus Stoinis 3-0-27-2.
