Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin felt sad on India’s close four-run defeat (DLS method) against Australia in the first T20I off three-match T20I series at The Gabba (Brisbane) on Wednesday. However, he also feels that the series is going to be cracking.
After winning the toss, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli decided to field first. In the rain-interrupted first innings, Australia managed to score 158/4 at the end of 17 overs. Glenn Maxwell played a brilliant knock of 46 off 24 balls (4 sixes) while Chris Lynn and Marcus Stoinis had some good contributions of 37 and 31 runs respectively.
Among the Indian bowlers, Kuldeep Yadav (2/24) picked up two wickets while Jasprit Burmah (1/21) and Khaleel Ahmed (1/42) claimed one wicket each.
However, India got a DLS adjusted target as they had to chase 174 runs in 17 overs. In reply, the visitors managed to score 169/7 at the end of 17 overs as they lost by just 4 runs. The opener Shikhar Dhawan played a brilliant knock as he scored 76 runs off 42 balls with the help of 10 fours and 2 sixes.
Also read: India’s hard fight went in vain as Australia won by 4 runs
When India was struggling on 105/4 in 11.4 overs and just lost the wicket of Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik brilliantly recovered that innings and took the scorecard close to the target. In the very short period of time, they had a 51-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Pant was dismissed in the 16th over after scoring 20 off 16 balls.
In the last over, India needed 13 runs to win but Marcus Stoinis bowled brilliantly and picked up two back-to-back wickets of Krunal Pandya (2 runs) and Karthik (30 runs off 13 balls) and secured the thrilling victory after conceding just eight runs in that over. India finished the innings on 169/7 at the end of 17 overs.
After the game, Ravichandran Ashwin tweeted, “Such a closely fought game, too bad it dint go our way. This is going to be a cracking series. #AusvsInd”
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Such a closely fought game, too bad it dint go our way. This is going to be a cracking series. #AusvsInd
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) November 21, 2018
