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1st T20I: Australia beat India by three wickets in last-ball thriller, lead series 1-0

WION Web Team
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, IndiaUpdated: Feb 24, 2019, 10:46 PM IST
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File photo of Australian cricketer D'Arcy Short (R) playing a shot as India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks on. Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

The Men in blue were on the verge of winning the game but Umesh Yadav's pale bowling in the last over turned the tables against India.

Australia defeated India by three wickets to clinch the first T20 international in a last ball-thriller on Sunday. 

The Men in blue were on the verge of winning the game but Umesh Yadav's pale bowling in the last overturned the tables against India.

With just three wickets left, Australia hit 14 runs in the final over to register a dramatic win. Despite losing two early wickets, Glenn Maxwell's firework kept Australia on track as the visitors chased India's 127 runs target.
 
Maxwell along with D Arcy Short established a partnership of over 60 runs to help their side recover from the early losses. Australia lost two wickets - Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch - for just five runs.

Put into bat, India were restricted to a paltry total with opener KL Rahul top-scoring for the side and reached his brilliant half-century to put up a decent total. However, he was dismissed Nathan Coulter-Nile for 50.

His 36-ball inning includes six boundaries and one six.

Wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni failed to score any big runs despite playing 37 balls. He remained not out for 29 which includes just one six.

For the hosts, it was skipper Virat Kohli and KL Rahul fifty-run partnership that lifted India from the early loss of Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed for five runs.  

Things were going strong when Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Adam Zampa for 24 runs which included three sixes. The two played some phenomenal shots to help the team recover.

In bowling, Jasprit Bumrah registered the best figures for India. he clinched three wickets in his four overs and gave just 16 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal and Krunal Pandya took on wicket apiece.  

Meanwhile, for Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile took three wickets and Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins clinched one wicket each. 

By virtue of this win, Australia leads the two-game T20series 1-0. the two teams will next play each other on Wednesday.