Australia has finally managed to register a consolation win by defeating India in the final T20 of the three-match series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Chasing a mammoth total of 187 runs, the visiting team kept on losing the wickets at crucial juncture and despite the skipper, Virat Kohli scoring a fluent 85, they fell 12 runs short of the target. Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Australia lost their skipper Aaron Finch for a duck in the second over of Washington Sundar.
However, Matthew Wade continued his good form as he started tonking the opposition bowlers from the word go which allowed Steve Smith to go at less than run-a-ball for the majority of his innings. The duo added 65 runs for the second wicket and the hosts were off to a brilliant start again despite losing an early wicket. But Sundar once again managed to get the wickets of Smith. Glenn Maxwell then joined Wade and what followed was some superb hitting.
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Both the batsmen stitched a huge partnership of 90 runs scored rrespective half-centuries. Wade was almost got dismissed by T Natarajan earlier itself but India failed to take the DRS on time for an lbw appeal while Maxwell was extremely lucky as well. He got out off a no-ball and was then dropped two times before scoring 54 off 36 balls. At the other end, Wade amassed 80 off just 53 balls.
These two were on the verge of taking Australia to a score past 200, but Indian bowlers conceded just 47 runs in the last five overs as the home team managed to reach the of 186 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets. India got off to the worse possible start as Maxwell got the wicket of KL Rahul in the first over itself for a duck.
Virat Kohli then came out to bat to play some gorgeous and added some crucial runs with Shikhar Dhawan at the other end, before the latter getting out to Mitchell Swepson. But Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer couldn’t contribute with Swepson striking twice in the same over. At 100/4 after 13 overs, the men in blue lacked momeentume then Hardik Pandya also joined in the fun as the duo churned out a lot of runs off Andrew Tye and Daniel Sams.
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India needed 43 runs in the last three overs and then Adam Zampa send back Pandya into the hut and gave away only seven runs to keep Australia. Kohli was in the zone having scored 85 runs until then with four fours and three sixes but in quest of quick runs in the penultimate over, he was holed out in the deep off Tye. Eventually, India could only reach 174 runs despite Shardul Thakur hitting a couple of lusty blows. With it, their 10-match winning streak was also arrested.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Missing those crucial knocks from #RAVINDRAJADEJA #AUSvIND
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) December 8, 2020
Australian umpires have been a little too lenient with the wides in the second innings….am I the only one who thinks that way? 🤷♂️🧐 #AusvInd
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 8, 2020
Liking the Aussie T20 strip 🕺 #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/Ev3rR0Bjkq
— Danny Morrison (@SteelyDan66) December 8, 2020
India's first T20i loss in 2020 and after 10 consecutive wins.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 8, 2020
Spinners pulled this one for the Aussies !! Never seen so many catches getting dropped in a game 🙌!! Wade again was good with the bat n well tried kolhi . Well done Aussies for the win n congratulations to team India 🇮🇳 for the series win #AUSAvINDA
— Mithun Manhas (@MithunManhas) December 8, 2020
India's winning streak in T20Is is over.
They lose their first T20I in 12 outings, going back to December 2019. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/k6rteVuzHL
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) December 8, 2020
"The biggest wicket in World cricket"
– commentator when Kohli got outUnfortunate that he couldn't win it for his team, but what a fighting knock from the best in the business 👊#AUSvIND #ViratKohli #INDvsAUS
— Zuhoor (@Zuhoor_writes) December 8, 2020
