India triumph; Australia are D(hon)isappointed

India made no changes to their playing eleven.

Australia made half-a-dozen changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce and Shaun Tait made way for Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings and three T20 International debutants (Andrew Tye, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon).

(Aar)On winning the toss, Finch, Australia’s skipper, inserted the visitors.

The Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and sixth over. They scored 50, without the loss of a wicket. The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave Australia no reason to be in seventh heaven. While Rohit Sharma’s contribution to the partnership was 23, Shikhar Dhawan’s contribution to the partnership was 20.

Dhawan, whose 32-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 42. Eleven balls into the match, he was caught by Chris Lynn. Maxwell broke the 97-run partnership.

India scored 100 off 11.2 overs (69 balls). Australia had conceded eight extras at that point.

Sharma’s half-century – which included five boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 37 balls.

The second-wicket pair put on 46. Sharma, whose 47-ball innings included five boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 60. Five overs after Dhawan’s dismissal, Maxwell and Matthew Wade ran him out.

India scored 150 off 16.5 overs (102 balls). Australia had conceded nine extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Virat Kohli was the player of the match. His half-century – which included a boundary and a six – came off 39 balls. He eventually scored 59 balls off 33 balls, and was unbeaten.

Mahendra Singh, India’s skipper, faceD(ho)nine balls, scoring 14. His innings included a couple of boundaries. Twenty-two balls after Sharma’s dismissal, he was caught by Shane Watson. Tye broke the 38-run stand.

Suresh Raina, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India scored 184 for the loss of three wickets off 20 overs.

Lyon, who bowled a wicketless over, conceded 15. Hastings and James Faulkner bowled three wicketless overs each, conceding 35 apiece. Watson, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 17. Boland, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 30.

Maxwell, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 17. He picked up a wicket, as did Tye, who bowled four overs, conceding 28.

The Powerplay of Australia’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and sixth over. They scored 62, without the loss of a wicket.

Australia’s openers put on 50 off 5.1 overs (31 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point. While Finch’s contribution to the partnership was 34, Marsh’s contribution to it was 15.

Finch’s half-century – which included eight boundaries and a six – came off 27 balls.

Marsh, whose run-a-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, eventually scored 23. Fifty-nine balls into the chase, he was caught by Hardik Pandya. Ravichandran Ashwin broke the 94-run partnership.

Lynn, who faced four balls, scored a couple. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Dhoni, Pandya broke the five-run stand.

Australia scored 100 off 11.1 overs (67 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Maxwell, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Five balls after Lynn’s dismissal, he was stumped by Dhoni. Yuvraj Singh broke the two-run stand.

Watson, whose 11-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 15. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Ravindra Jadeja, who broke the 20-run stand.

The fifth-wicket pair put on three. Finch eventually scored 74 off 48 balls, which included the aforementioned number of boundaries, in addition to a couple of sixes. Half-a-dozen balls later, Jadeja and Dhoni ran him out.

Wade, whose 15-ball innings included a six, scored 16. He was unbeaten.

Faulkner, whose seven-ball innings included a six, scored 10. Ten balls after Finch’s dismissal, he was stumped by Dhoni. Jadeja broke the 13-run stand.

Australia scored 150 off 18.5 overs (113 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Hastings, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored four. Fourteen balls after Faulkner’s dismissal, Jasprit Bumrah broke the 15-run stand.

Tye, who faced four balls, scored as many. His runs came by a boundary. Four balls later, Bumrah broke the five-run stand.

India eventually conceded eight extras. Australia, who scored 157 for the loss of eight wickets off 20 overs, lost by 27 runs. Nehra, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 34.

Pandya and Yuvraj bowled a couple of overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 17, the latter had a reason to be in seventh heaven. Ashwin, who bowled four overs, conceding 27. He picked up a wicket.

Bumrah and Jadeja bowled four overs each, picking up a couple of scalps apiece. While the former conceded 37, the latter conceded 32.      

India led the three-match series 2-0. In fact, they won the series with a match to spare.