IND v AUS Live Score, 1st T20I: Ravindra Jadeja blitzkrieg lifts India to 161 after Moises Henriques three-for
Aussie medium-pacer Moises Henriques picked up three big wickets to restrict India to 161 for 7 after the hosts sent India to bat in the first T20I at Canberra.
India must thank Ravindra Jadeja for lifting them to a competitive total in the first T20I with a brilliant cameo of 44 not out from 23, hitting five fours and a six. The all-rounder took the attack to Josh Hazlewood (0/39) and Mitchell Starc (2/34) as 64 runs were scored in the last five overs.
KL Rahul’s 51 from 40 was the only score of note from the top five for India as Australia made India pay for some average batting.
Sent in to bat after losing the toss, India got off to a poor start in the first T20I as left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc sent opener Shikhar Dhawan packing for 1. Dhawan was completely at sea as Starc bowled a fast outswinger that pitched on the middle and swung away. The left-hander did not cover for the late swing and had his off-stump knocked back.
Virat Kohli falls to leg-spin again in the first T20I
Having lost a big wicket early, India needed skipper Virat Kohli to come up with a significant knock in the first T20I. However, he too was back in the hut early, falling to leg-spin again.
It wasn’t Adam Zampa but Mitchell Swepson who foxed the Indian skipper with one that gripped and got big on Kohli. The Indian captain tried to check his shot at the last moment, but only managed to present a simple caught and bowled after scoring 9.
Following Kohli’s dismissal, Sanju Samson looked good during his brief stay at the crease. The 26-year-old pulled Swepson for a six and a four in the same over. However, he perished to Moises Henriques after a 15-ball 23, driving a full ball straight to cover.
Henriques took his second wicket when Rahul, having completed his half-century, tried to take on the medium-pacer, but only managed to find long-on as Sean Abbott took a terrific diving catch. With wickets falling at the other end, Rahul tried to hold one end up and eventually crumbled under the pressure that had built up.
Rahul’s dismissal left India reeling at 92 for 5. Henriques had his third when Hardik Pandya (16) hit one high to long-off. Earlier, Manish Pandey (2) also perished cheaply. He tried to cut leggie Zampa, but the ball got too big on him, and he only managed to top edge it to short third man, where Hazlewood picked up another good catch.
Both India and Australia made interesting changes to their team for the first T20I. The visitors handed T. Natarajan his T20I debut, days after he had made his ODI debut at the same venue. Jasprit Bumrah was rested instead. Yuzvendra Chahal also did not find a place in the playing XI. In the batting department, Samson was picked over Shreyas Iyer.
On the other hand, Australia decided to include both leg-spinners Zampa and Swepson in the playing eleven in the first T20I, a move that worked well for them.