The preparations for T20 World Cup have begun on a positive note with India taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match IND vs AUS T20 series. After a thrilling last-ball chase in the first T20, India put up an all-round performance in Thiruvananthapuram to beat Australia by 44 runs. Sent to bat, India Cricket Team posted a mammoth 235/4 total. The architect of the huge total was Yashasvi Jaiswal who played a sensational 25-ball 53-run knock but Ruturaj Gaikwad (58 off 43), Ishan Kishan (52 off 32) and Rinku Singh (31 off 9) powered India to 235/4. In reply, Australia finished with 191/9 as Ravi Bishnoi and Prasidh Krishna bagged three wickets each.
Chasing a target of 236 was never going to be easy even with dew. And despite Australia starting well with Matthew Short going all guns blazing, Bishnoi struck in the powerplay. And soon, he got rid of the centurion of Vishakhapatnam Josh Inglis to make it 39/2 for Australia in the IND vs AUS 2nd T20I.
Dew no factor
Even though dew came in, it made no difference to Indian bowlers. Glenn Maxwell and Steven Smith fell to Axar Patel and Prasidh Krishna respectively as Australia were reduced to 58/4. But then, it was Marcus Stoinis and Tim David who took charge of the chase in IND vs AUS 2nd T20I as dew took made an impact.
With the two big-hitting Australians on the crease, India Cricket Team were suddenly on the back foot. Stoinis (45 off 25) and David (37 off 22) added 81 runs off just 38 balls to bring Australia back in the game.
However, Ravi Bishnoi once again struck back. In the 14th over, he dismissed Tim David to script Australia’s downfall. Next over, Mukesh Kumar removed Stoinis to dent Australia’s hopes of chasing down 236. And it was all over soon as Australia lost three more wickets in the next three overs.
While Matthew Wade did try his beat, it wasn’t enough as the visitors could only manage 191/9 in the IND vs AUS 2nd T20I.
Young Indian Brigade
Earlier, what seemed like a two-paced wicket, Australia captain Matthew Wade won the toss and invited India Cricket Team to bat. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal never let the look of the wicket deceive anyone. Yashasvi Jaiswal went on the offensive from the start, hammering a 22-ball half-century within the powerplay.
His assault on Sean Abbott (4,4,4,6,6) in the 4th over put India Cricket Team in the driver’s seat early. With Ruturaj Gaikwad, he added 77 runs in just 5.5 overs before he perished to Nathan Ellis. But by then, he already dealt enough damage.
With Gaikwad holding fort from one end, Ishan Kishan played freely. In his return to the T20 side on the back of a poor run of form in T20Is, it was yet another excellent knock. He smashed 58 in the first match and in Thiruvananthapuram, he hammered 32-ball 52 with three fours and four sixes. Ishan Kishan added 87 runs off 58 balls with Gaikwad taking complete control of IND vs AUS 2nd T20I.
After Ishan Kishan fell to Stoinis in the 16th over, it was time for Ruturaj Gaikwad to up the tempo. In between, Suryakumar Yadav came to the crease, hit two sixes and perished. But Rinku Singh, India’s new Mr Finisher did play a sensational knock.
Rinku Singh hammered 31 off 9 balls including nine fours and four sixes as India Cricket Team scored 62 runs in the last five overs. And that blitzkrieg took India to 235/4, the fifth-highest total in T20Is and the highest score against Australia.
India will now travel to Guwahati for the third T20 and look to seal the series. IND vs AUS 3rd T20I takes place on Nov 28, Tuesday.
Editors pick
