Rohit Sharma came across as a frustrating figure as his bowling unit failed to stop the high-flying Australian batting unit from chasing a steep total of 209 in the first T20I. Australia rode on a half-century from Cameron Green and a quick blitz from Matthew Wade to overhaul the target with four balls remaining.
Green, who was playing his second T20I, looked unperturbed by the Indian pace attack and slammed 61 off just 30 deliveries, courtesy of eight fours and four sixes. He was assisted by Steven Smith after Aaron Finch got out cheaply. Smith struggled to break free and largely played a second fiddle to Green for his 24-ball 35.
Axar Patel managed to squeeze the run flow to some extent, but he wasn’t helped by the lack of consistency from the others. Axar’s three-wicket haul opened up a possibility of a comeback, but Wade then hammered a might blow with his 21-ball 45.
Umesh Yadav’s comeback started on a grim note, as he saw his first four balls racing away to the boundary. But on his return in the middle overs, he managed to prise out the wickets of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell. While Smith’s dismissal was a clear edge to Dinesh Karthik, Maxwell’s edge was deemed not out by the on-field umpire.
Rohit, however, was confident of hearing an edge but still asked for Karthik’s approval before challenging the decision. While the team was waiting for the DRS decision, Rohit jokingly grabbed Karthik’s neck, while the latter was smiling throughout. The clip has gone viral on Twitter.
Earlier in the game, India lost out on an early wicket after they failed to review for an lbw appeal against Green, whose catch was also dropped a few moments later by Axar.
As far as the Indian batting is concerned, KL Rahul gave a fiery start after India lost Rohit and Virat Kohli inside the Powerplay. Rahul scored 55 off 35 deliveries and forged a crucial partnership with Suryakumar Yadav. But India still needed heavy lifting from Hardik Pandya, who scored 71 at a strike rate of 236, to reach a competitive total.
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