India chase on point, level series against Australia
Ethan James |
India have levelled the Twenty20 series against Australia, sharing the blows with the bat for a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare in Hobart.
The hosts posted 6-186 on Sunday night on the back of an explosive 74 from 38 balls from Tim David batting at No.4 and a Marcus Stoinis half-century.
Australia kept themselves in the hunt with regular wickets during India’s chase, before Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 49 from 23 got the visitors home.
After a washout in the series opener in Canberra, India’s win leaves the five-game series at 1-1 with two fixtures remaining.
On his Hurricanes home turf, quick Nathan Ellis did his best to inspire Australia with 3-36, including the scalps of openers Abhishek Sharma (25) and Shubman Gill (15).
But India were able to keep on top of the run-rate to set up a crucial game four on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
Australia missed elite paceman Josh Hazelwood, who took 3-13 in game two but is sitting out the final three fixtures of the series with the Ashes looming.
Earlier, after Australia were sent in, David’s blistering knock featured five sixes and eight fours.
He came to the crease with his side 2-14 in the third over and made India pay for dropping him on 20.
David launched two sixes from the spin of Axar Patel in the seventh over, including one straight that hit the signage on top of the Ninja Stadium roof.
He fell in the 13th over, caught on the long-off boundary off the medium pace of Shivan Dube.
Stoinis held the innings together with an important 64 from 39 balls, as three of Australia’s top five fell for single digits.
“I felt I was moving really well and happy to get a few out of the middle and put a good partnership on with Stoin,” David said.
“It was a good batting pitch … we did leave a few runs out there.”
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2-33) suffered some punishment from David, but took two scalps in consecutive balls, including rattling Mitch Owen’s stumps for a duck.
An inclusion after Melbourne, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh was the pick of India’s bowlers with 3-35 and won man-of-the-match honours.
India’s chase got off to a strong start before twin blows to Ellis had them 2-62 in the sixth over.
The tourists lost skipper Suryakumar Yadav for an 11-ball 24 when he chipped a catch to Ellis off the bowling of Marcus Stoinis in the eighth over.
Sundar was immediately aggressive and took the long handle to Sean Abbott with back-to-back sixes.
“I just wanted to watch the ball. Whenever an opportunity comes I try to do the right thing … and back my skill set,” Sundar said.
Australia could turn to Glenn Maxwell in game four. The allrounder has been given slightly longer to recover from a wrist injury after joining the squad for games three to five.
AAP
