Sydney: India won the series by defeating Australia by six wickets in the second T20 International match here on Sunday with the aggressive batting of Hardik Pandya after Shikhar Dhawan’s 36-ball 52-run innings. The visiting team thus avenged a 1-2 defeat in the ODI series. The team achieved the challenging target of 195 runs scored by the home team with two balls to spare.
The Indian team won by 11 runs in the opening T20 in Canberra on Friday. He took an unassailable 2–0 lead in the series. India scored 12 runs in the 18th over, for which the team needed 25 runs to win in the last two overs. Pandya hit two fours which required 14 runs to win the last six balls. This all-rounder then hit two sixes and put the match in India’s bag. Man of the match Pandya remained unbeaten after scoring 42 runs off 22 balls.
India did not put any boundaries in the first two overs. But Dhawan (52) and Lokesh Rahul (30) rained fours and sixes after settling at the crease. Rahul sent Andrew Tye to extra cover on a free hit, which was the first boundary of India’s innings. Dhawan hit two boundaries and a six over Glenn Maxwell which helped the Indian innings catch the rhythm. Australia, however, gave India their first setback by taking Rahul’s wicket. He reached the pavilion with an easy catch at deep point to Mitchell Swepson. But India started well in the powerplay by scoring 60 runs for one wicket. Dhawan, who had some excellent shots, touched the bat off leg-spinner Adam Jampa and Australia took the second wicket. Sanju Samson was dismissed for 15 runs off 10 balls.
Debutant Daniel Symes took a big wicket in the form of Virat Kohli, who scored 40 off 24 balls. Earlier, thanks to the brilliant half-century innings of the caretaker captain Matthew Wade, Australia scored 194 for five wickets. India won the toss and decided to bowl, after which Wade, who led the team in the absence of injured Aaron Finch, scored 58 off 32 balls while Steve Smith contributed 46 off 38 balls. For the guests, T Natarajan took two wickets for 20 runs in his four overs. India bowled tight in the middle overs but after that Australia added 62 runs in the last five overs. Wade started the Australian innings fast. Barring Yuzvendra Chahal, he made 10 boundaries and hit a six against India’s less experienced bowling attack. Wade scored 13 runs in the first over with three fours on Deepak Chahar.
In the second over, off off spinner Washington Sundar, he hit a six at deep square leg. Wade running the farm welcomed Shardul Thakur from the boundary. Sundar conceded 15 runs in the fourth over and then Wade added 12 runs over Thakur allowing the hosts to complete 50 runs in the sixth over at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Natarajan was put on a bowling attack which helped Australia lose their first wicket in the form of Darcy Short. Wade’s fast-paced batting continued and he completed his half-century in just 25 balls with a four off Chahal’s ball. But the caretaker captain is run out interestingly.
His easy catch on the cover was dropped by Indian captain Virat Kohli, he has dropped a second catch in two days. Which caused Wade to run to the other end but Steve Smith did not. As a result Kohli bowled towards wicketkeeper Lokesh Rahul and Wade was run out. Earlier, Hardik Pandya also dropped Wade’s catch. Smith and Glenn Maxwell led the innings with fours and sixes. Maxwell hit two sixes on Chahal but fell victim to Shardul Thakur. After this, Moises Henriques (26 runs) was at the crease, he and Smith maintained the same rhythm before being dismissed. Smith was the victim of Chahal in the 18th over while Henriques also returned to the pavilion off Natarajan in the next over. In the end Marcus Stoinis scored 16 not out from seven balls and Daniel Samms scored eight not out from three balls.
