Adelaide marked Australia Day with fireworks, a 21-gun-salute, and a general festive atmosphere, but it was India which rejoiced on Tuesday night.
Virat Kohli scored a marvellous 90 (55b, 9x4, 2x6) before India’s bowlers — somewhat uncharacteristically for this tour — dominated the opponent to set up a 37-run win in the first KFC T20 International.
Needing 189 for victory, Australia was bowled out in 19.3 overs at the Adelaide Oval. Jasprit Bumrah was hugely impressive yet again, returning figures of three for 23, while Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin also made vital contributions.
Despite the early loss of David Warner to Bumrah, Australia had been speeding along in the run chase. Hardik Pandya was walloped for 19 runs in his first over in international cricket — some welcome! — as the home side raced to 82 for one in eight overs.
It was an eventful over, not least because Pandya began with three successive wides, and went on to bowl two more. M.S. Dhoni took him off at once, only bringing him back in the 15th, when the danger had largely passed.
Spin does the trickIt was spin that did the trick for India. Jadeja removed Steve Smith for 21, caught on the off-side off a leading edge.
Two balls later, Ashwin, bowling from around the wicket, trapped Aaron Finch in front for 44.
Just the previous delivery a loud appeal was turned down because Ashwin had completely blocked the umpire’s view. When Jadeja had Travis Head leg-before, Australia had lost three for four in the space of 2.1 overs.
Much depended on Shane Watson, but he was out for 12, caught trying to sweep Ashwin. Chris Lynn sought to turn things around, clubbing Pandya to the tree-line beyond the stands at the Cathedral End.
The Baroda all-rounder’s night improved when he got rid of Lynn and Matthew Wade, although his outburst at the former’s exit was unnecessary. Bumrah then saw off James Faulkner — with the sort of yorker other Indian bowlers have struggled to bowl this tour — and Cameron Boyce as Australia folded for 151.
Full houseA near full-house greeted India’s openers as they walked in to bat, after their side had lost the toss. Adelaide’s own Shaun Tait received a rapturous ovation as he bowled his first over in international cricket in some five years.
Tait has not lost a great deal of pace — his opening delivery to Rohit Sharma was measured at over 150kmph — but at that speed, the margin for error is little. He went for 21 from his first two overs as India stormed off the blocks.
Watson, though, struck at once. He removed Rohit first ball with a slower delivery, the batsman caught at mid-on. Four balls later, he dismissed Shikhar Dhawan with a slow bouncer.
Watson finished with excellent figures of two for 24 from his four overs.
Thereafter, Kohli bore India on his shoulders with a fluid half-century. He struck the ball fiercely, but took no risks and made no mistakes. Boyce was driven inside out over long-off for six, Kane Richardson smashed twice through the offside, and Tait — in what was perhaps the shot of the evening — effortlessly flicked over the square-leg boundary.
Kohli and Raina added 134 runs for the third wicket, the highest stand in T20Is at the Adelaide Oval. Dhoni then stunned Australia with a pair of ridiculously powerful blows as India finished with 188. It was simply too much for Australia.
