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Iyer’s Fifty, Axar’s All-Round Show And Mukesh, Arshdeep Spells Help IND Wallop AUS 4-1

image-lppq9xgzMukesh Kumar congratulated by captain Suryakumar Yadav for his twin strikes (BCCI)

Brief Scores: India: 160-8 (20 overs) [Shreyas Iyer: 53 (37), Axar Patel: 31 (21); Ben Dwarshuis 2/30 (4), Jason Behrendorff 2/38 (4)] defeated Australia: 154-8 (20 overs) [Ben McDermott: 54 (36), Travis Head: 28 (18); Mukesh Kumar 3/32 (4), Ravi Bishnoi 2/29 (4)] by six runs. 

Team India escaped with a narrow win in Bengaluru to complete a 4-1 ravaging of Australia in their five-match T20I series.

Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel blaze India to 160

Losing the toss and getting invited to bat for the fourth time in succession this series, Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad made their way out to the middle, bearing the weight of their recent run-scoring spree. However, on a stiff Bengaluru surface, both in-form batters failed to replicate their splendid run as they were accounted by Jason Behrendorff and Ben Dwarshuis within the opening powerplay itself.

Dwarshuis also trapped Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav later in the innings, while batting barbarian Rinku Singh had his stay curtailed by visiting spinner Tanveer Sangha for just six. The four-wicket burst in five overs left Team India facing adversity at 55-4 inside the halfway stage of their innings, before senior man Shreyas Iyer staged a counterattacking rebellion through belligerent partnerships with Jitesh Sharma and Axar Patel.

While Sharma pumped out 24 crucial runs from just 16 balls, Patel bludgeoned a 21-ball 31, all during the death overs. Iyer himself crafted 53 off 37 deliveries and his backend assault eventually surged Team India towards a competitive 160-run total.

Mukesh, Arshdeep subdue McDermott in close win

Charismatic Australian opener Travis Head made his intentions clear right from the outset, as the recent World Cup winner belted five boundaries and a six during his 18-ball powerplay assault against new-ball bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan.

Mukesh Kumar did provide his side an early breakthrough by cleaning up Josh Phillipe, while Head’s dismissal at the hands of Ravi Bishnoi led to another wicket, thus worsening Australia’s troubles at 55-3.

Ben McDermott at number three clobbered a fighting half-century, and gradually extended his side’s pursuit through defiant stands with Tim David and Matthew Short. However, in one of his return spells, Kumar accounted for Short and lower-order batter Ben Dwarshuis in succession while Axar Patel dismissed David in his economical spell to boil down the equation to 10 runs from the final six balls.

Last-over wizard Arshdeep, in turn, held his nerve, and kept Australia down by six runs from their target all while dismissing their raging skipper Matthew Wade.