IND VS AUS: Australia’s Tremendous Victory🏏

Team India has suffered yet another setback leading into the next month’s T20 World Cup 2022 as they faced a four-wicket loss at the hands of Australia in the first T20I at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Tuesday, September 20. Despite defending a total in excess of 200, the Indian bowlers failed to get the job done. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was benched for this game and his absence was felt as the Men in Blue were clearly short of a death overs specialist yet again whereas, middle-order sensation Matthew Wade yet again established himself as a potential match-winner.  

Matthew Wade changed the complexion of the game 

After being put into bat first, India lost the key wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli inside the Powerplay before vice-captain KL Rahul (55) and Surya Kumar Yadav (46) went on to add 68 runs for the third wicket. In the end, Hardik Pandya’s explosive unbeaten knock of a 30-ball 71 propelled India to 208/6. Nathan Ellis (3/30) and Josh Hazlewood (2/39) were the picks of the bowlers for the visitors while Cameron Green chipped in with a wicket. In reply, captain Aaron Finch and Cameron Green ensured a steady start for Australia.

It was Green who anchored the chase, scoring a quickfire 61 runs off 30 balls. Once he was dismissed, Matthew Wade played the finisher’s role to perfection as he remained unbeaten on a 21-ball 45. Wade clobbered Harshal Patel for two sixes in the 18th over and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for three fours in the penultimate over to completely change the complexion of the game. ade has played a special knock to help Australia pull off their second highest run chase in T20s.

India had pulled things back to an extent with those wickets in the middle overs, but Wade has played another fantastic innings to take his team over the line. Cameron Green was at his destructive best in the powerplay, and he made India pay for their mistakes. Was out lbw, but India didn’t go up for a review. And later, he was also dropped by Axar Patel. Axar made up for that dropped catch with three wickets, but India’s bowling towards the end of the innings was pretty ordinary.

Wade punished them to all parts on the park, and due to this impressive knock by the left-hander, Australia go 1-0 up in the series. Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav tried their best to power India to a massive total, but the bowlers – in the powerplay, and towards the death – couldn’t come to the party. There were some bowling as well as batting issues with India. As their bowling looked very ordinary in the death overs. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is not a death bowler, he could pick wickets only in the Power Play and he leaks many runs. I feel that India would come back strongly in the next game.

Kohli departed early, while Bhuvneshwar was thrashed by the Australian batters in the powerplay, and towards the end. Things are only going to get tougher from here on. No room for experiments anymore. Because there are plenty of other teams who have prepared equally well, or even better than India as we inch closer to the T20 World Cup. Australia are the defending champions for a reason, and we got to see a glimpse of that tonight. Will India manage to level the series in the next T20I? Join us on the 23rd, Friday – to find that out. For now it’s a goodbye from our side. Good Morning and take care!