Match Blog: Kohli, Rohit Notch Fifties as India Seal Series 2-0
Match Blog: Click here for all the latest updates, pictures and reactions from the 2nd Aus-India T20 at Melbourne.
advertisement
- India take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match T20 series against Australia after winning the second T20 by 27 runs at Melbourne.
- MS Dhoni has broken Kumar Sangakkara’s record of most stumpings in international cricket.
- Virat Kohli’s 59* and Rohit Sharma’s 60 propelled India’s score to 184/3.
- All the Indian bowlers chipped in with wickets, except Ashish Nehra.
- Aaron Finch is down with a hamstring injury.
- Virat Kohli is named the player of the match.
India Win by 27 Runs
Bumrah Dismisses Hastings
Bumrah is banging the final nails in the coffin. He bowled a terrific yorker to get Hastings bowled. Australia now need 33 from four balls.
India have truly bounced back from the ODI series loss.
Faulkner Stumped Unluckily
And in a night of run-outs and stumpings, Faulkner gets stumped unluckily. The Australian finisher tried to loft Jadeja out of the ground but inside-edged the ball onto Dhoni’s pads instead and the ball bounced back onto the stumps with Faulkner short of his crease.
With this stumping, Dhoni breaks Sangakkara’s record of most stumpings in international cricket.
Australia six down. Dhoni is getting ready to win his first series in one-and-half years.
Jadeja in Action Again
That’s it. India have got their man. And it’s Sir Jadeja who is getting things done for the Indians. Finch tried to take a risky run to get on strike but Jadeja was too quick. He threw the ball to Dhoni and the captain took off the stumps in a flash.
Finch seemed to be struggling with his hamstring.
Australia are 124/5 after 15.2 overs. This match is surely in India’s bag now.
Jadeja Takes a Splendid Catch!
The Indians want to warp this up quickly. Watson smashes one back to Jadeja, but the athletic all-rounder latches on to this one and sends Watson back for just 15.
Australia are 124/4 after 15. They need 61 more runs from 30 balls.
Maxi Falls to Yuvraj
Well, India are on a roll. MS Dhoni takes off the bails in a flash to dismiss power hitter Glenn Maxwell for just one.
Australia are losing the plot, they were going at ten per over at one point but their run rate has plummeted to 8.5 at the moment.
They 83 more runs from 48 balls.
Lynn Goes for a Big One
Chris Lynn tried to go for a big six and in the process top-edges to Dhoni. The ball was swirling in the air, but the professional keeper MSD kept his cool and caught it without any hassle. Pandya in the actiona again!
Australia: 99/2.
Ashwin Sends Marsh Back
R Ashwin gets the breakthrough for India. A quiet innings by Shaun Marsh comes to an end. Finally, India manages to catch one! Newbie Hardik Pandya takes a simple catch after Marsh tried to get a move on at 23 from 23 balls.
First Rishi Dhawan dropped Finch and then Shikhar Dhawan dropped him again. Once Finch took a single, Marsh was caught.
Finch’s Power 50
Aaron Finch brings up his fifty with a huge six off R Ashwin. He has taken just 27 balls to get to it. Finch is looking relentless, if India don’t get him now, the men in blue could be in a lot of trouble.
Australia: 73/0 after 7.1 overs.
Finch and Marsh Take Australia Past 50
Aaron Finch is playing a gem of an innings at the MCG. He has already smashed seven boundaries and is looking hungry for many more.
Shaun Marsh is quietly taking singles at the other end. Australia are running away with the game at the moment, India need to strike now!
Australia: 52/0 after 5.1 overs.
India 184/3 at 20 Overs
Some quinck running between the wickets by Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina in the end have taken India to a competitive score of 184/3 in 20 overs.
Rohit Sharma batted like a beast yet again and blasted 60 off 47 balls. Virat Kohli remained not out on 59 off 33 balls.
Virat Scores Another 50, Dhoni Caught
Virat Kohli brings up another scintillating 50 in this series. He smacked seven fours and a six to score a fifty in just 29 balls.
MS Dhoni couldn’t bat until the end but he has played the finisher’s role to perfection. He hit two boundaries in his short innings of 14 but got caught while trying to hit another one.
Rohit Run Out
Last ball of the 16th over and Kohli goes for a single. Rohit thought thinks there are two in this, no one else does.
Virat is nodding his head as Sharma is nowhere even close to his end. Another match, another run out between these two. Rohit out for 60
India: 143/2 after 16
India Cross 134 in 15 Overs
A maximum off Virat Kohli’s bat and India are past 130.
Maxwell Gets the Breakthrough, Rohit Scores 50
Shikhar Dhawan falls short of his first fifty in T20Is yet again. He was looking in supreme touch until he tried to reverse sweep Glenn Maxwell and got himself caught by Lynn for 42.
At the other end, Rohit Sharma has brought up another fifty in this tour of Australia. From being a non-performer, he has become Mr. Consistent.
India: 101/1 after 11.2 overs.
Dhawan and Rohit Get India Off to a Great Start
The Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have got India off to an aggressive start. They have looked for the big shots right from the word go.
Both of them are batting at more than run-a-ball and have already struck six boundaries.
India: 44/0 after 5.
Toss
Australia have won the toss and elect to bowl first. The Indians have an unchanged side and Australia have made six changes. John Hastings and Glenn Maxwell return to the team.
The Squads
India Squad: RG Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*, Yuvraj Singh, HH Pandya, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, JJ Bumrah, A Nehra
Australia Squad: AJ Finch*, SE Marsh, CA Lynn, GJ Maxwell, SR Watson, MS Wade, JP Faulkner, JW Hastings, SM Boland, AJ Tye, NM Lyon
Good afternoon!
Welcome to the coverage of the second T20 between India and Australia at Melbourne. India lead the three-match T20 series 1-0 and they will be looking to seal the deal in this match.
The comprehensive team effort handed India a 37-run victory in the first T20 at Adelaide.
The Australians will play three debutants in this match namely, Nathan Lyon, Andrew Tye and Scott Boland.
Here’s what R Ashwin had to say at the press conference: