3 best T20I wins for India against Australia

#1 2016 World T20 match at Mohali

Virat Kohli's masterful knock hauled India to a memorable victory

This match was a virtual quarter-final as the winner of the match would go through to the semi-final of World Cup 2016. India were led by MS Dhoni while Steve Smith was the captain for Australia.

Smith won the toss and elected to bat first. The Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch put on 53 runs in 4.2 overs. Khawaja was the dominant partner whose 26 was studded with 6 fours. Ashwin went for 31 runs in 2 overs but took the important wicket of David Warner.

To stem the flow of runs, Dhoni brought on Yuvraj who got Captain Smith’s wicket for 2. Yuvraj, Jadeja and Ashish Nehra were all economical as they combined together to bowl 10 overs and gave away just 59 runs and took 2 wickets. In the remaining 10 overs bowled by Bumrah, Ashwin and Hardik Pandya, Australia managed 101 runs to reach 160. It was a par score on a good batting wicket at Mohali.

India started their chase poorly as they lost both the openers Rohit and Dhawan before the end of the Power Play. Raina followed suit and at the end of the 8th over India were dangerously placed at 50 for 3. Shane Watson once again proved his value to the Australian team as a bowler with the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in his first 2 overs.

But India were lucky to have the chase master Virat Kohli at the wicket. When Raina got out, Kohli was on 13 off 11 balls. At the half-way mark, India were 65 for 3 with Kohli on 19 and Yuvraj on 9. Yuvraj was battling through an injury and hence was struggling.

Adam Zampa bowled the 11th over and conceded just 3 runs and the required run rate had crossed 10. India managed to score the required run rate in the 12th and 13th overs as 21 runs came off these overs. Yuvraj’s struggle at the crease came to an end when Faulkner got rid of him for 21.

Dhoni walked into a familiar situation with India needing 67 runs from 6 overs. It was now or never for Team India as India had the two best batsmen at the crease in the given situation who could do it for them. When Yuvraj Singh got out, Kohli was batting on 35 off 30 balls. But the advent of Dhoni to the wicket spurred up Kohli as he smashed Hazlewood for 12 runs in the 16th over of the innings.

India now needed 47 from 4 overs. In the 17th over bowled by Watson, Kohli completed his 50 off 39 balls. But Shane Watson once again came to Australia’s rescue by conceding only 8 runs in that over. Watson finished with excellent figures of 4-0-23-2.

The asking rate jumped to 13 in the last 3 overs. Kohli was on strike for the 18th over bowled by James Faulkner. The first ball was pulled away to deep backward square leg for a four. Faulkner overcompensated in the next ball by pitching up which was square driven for a four.

Now Faulkner didn’t know what to bowl but Kohli didn’t give him any chance as he stepped out of the crease to loft the third ball over long-off for a six. The 18th over cost Australia 19 runs and suddenly it became a manageable equation for India with 20 needed from the last 2 overs.

Nathan Coulter-Nile started the 19th over with a dot ball. But his next 3 balls went for boundaries as Kohli square drove through point, pulled one to square leg and lofted the next one over extra cover. The last ball of the over was cover-driven for four. Coulter-Nile and Australia were rattled.

Dhoni, as always, gave his finishing touch to the match by scooping the low full toss to long-on for a four. India won the match by 4 wickets with 5 balls to spare. Kohli remained not out on 82 and Dhoni on 18. Kohli’s last 50 runs came off a meager 21 balls. Kohli and Dhoni added 67 runs in 6 overs to take India to an improbable win which knocked Australia out of the tournament.

To the disappointment of all the Indians, India lost the semi-final to West Indies where the Indian bowlers ended up bowling 3 no-balls which produced them wickets.

In the forthcoming T20I series against Australia, India would wish to display the same kind of fierce rivalry as in the past. An exciting series is in prospect.