New Delhi: Team India pulled off a 48-run victory in the fourth T20 International against Australia to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Playing at Gold Coast’s Carrara Oval, India posted 167/8 in the allotted 20 overs after being asked to bat first on Thursday. Australia seemed to be well placed at 67/1 in the ninth over and then 91/3 in the 12th over, only to implode quite spectacularly.
The home team lost seven wickets for the addition of only 28 runs in the space of seven overs to be bowled out for 119.
Off-spinning allrounder Washington Sundar picked up three of the last four wickets to register impressive figures of 3/3 in 1.2 overs.
Another spinning allrounder Axar Patel, a left-armer, was adjudged Player of the Match for putting the brakes on the Aussie innings with a spell of 4-0-20-2 after a late cameo with the bat — an 11-ball unbeaten 21.
All six bowlers used by skipper Suryakumar Yadav got amongst wickets. Third seamer Shivam Dube struck two important blows, sending back skipper Mitchell Marsh and the dangerous Tim David in back-to-back overs, while Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy bagged a wicket apiece.
India earlier managed what looked to be a slightly below-par score as the consistent medium-pacer Nathan Ellis (3/21) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3/45) restricted the men in blue to 167/8.
Shubman Gill top-scored with a stylish 46 off 39 balls, hitting 4 fours and a six. His opening partner, the swashbuckling Abhishek Sharma was a tad subdued by his standard, making 28 off 21 balls.
SKY smacked two sixes off consecutive balls before being caught at deep midwicket trying a third overboundary.
BRIEF SCORES
India 167/8 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 46; Nathan Ellis 3/21, Adam Zampa 3/45).
Australia 119 in 18.2 overs (Mitchell Marsh 30; Washington Sundar 3/3, Axar Patel 2/20, Shivam Dube 2/20).
Result: India won by 48 runs.
Player of the Match: Axar Patel (21* off 11 balls * 2/20 in 4 overs).
Series position: India lead 2-1.
Final T20I: Nov. 8 at Brisbane (from 1.45 pm).
