IND Vs AUS, 1st T20I: India Suffer Three-Wicket Defeat In Last-Ball Thriller

RESULT: Australia won by three wickets.

India could only manage 126/7 despite a half-century from comeback man KL Rahul (50 off 36). Mahendra Singh Dhoni played an unbeaten knock of 29 off 37 balls, but his denial to take singles towards the end of the innings sure proved detrimental.

For Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile produced figures of 3/26 to skittled the fame Indian batting line-up.

Glen Maxwell set up the chase with 43-ball 56. Then the tail-enders showed athleticism and alertness to convert singles to doubles as the visitors won the match in the last-ball.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets. The death overs specialist produced a brilliant penultimate over, conceding only two runs while affecting two wickets, to leave Australia needing 14 off the last over. But Umesh Yadav failed to defend.

Second and final T20I match will be played at Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Brief Scores:

India: 126/7 in 20 overs (KL Rahul 50 off 36 balls, MS Dhoni 29 no, Nathan Coulter-Nile 3/26 in 4 overs)
Australia: 127/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 56; Jasprit Bumrah 3/16).

AUSTRALIA INNINGS; TARGET 127

What a turn-around! 14 off the last over. A single off the first ball as Pat Cummins somehow made the contact. New man Jhye Richardson swung hard and hit a four to silence the crowd. 9 off 4. A yorker, and two runs stole. 7 off 3. Yadav pulled off as the non-striker back up. A brief stoppage as Richardson reworked on his get-up, removing the helmet. A single. 6 from 2. Another low full toss and a four. 2 off 1. Virat Kohli , who posted himself as a sweeper. was too far away from the ball. And Australia won by three wickets, off the last ball.

And India lost two consecutive T20 Internationals for the first time since June 2016.

Penultimate over and Jasprit Bumrah on. A dot ball, then a single to Peter Handscomb. 15 off ten. Nathan Coulter-Nile, a good hitter of the cricket ball, waited while MS Dhoni took over the leadership role from Virat Kohli, setting the field. A dot ball. And Kohli applauded the effort. Another single. 14 off 8. Then, Dhoni covered miles to take a skier.

Wickets: Peter Handscomb (13 off 15) tried for a biggie but ended up with a top edge from Bumrah's bouncer. FoW - 113/6 (18.5 over). 14 needed off 7 balls. Change over, and Bumrah bowled Coulter-Nile (4 off 8). Under the bat and stumps flying. What a delivery.

Australia need 14 off 6. Umesh Yadav to bowl the last over.

Mayank Markande completed his spell of four overs for 31 runs. Five runs from his last over.  Australia 111/5 after 18 runs. 16 needed from 12.

Krunal Pandya has given India the lifeline. Bowled Ashton Turner for a duck.

Wicket: The new man failed to read Krunal's quicker delivery. Nathan Coulter-Nile is the new man for Australia.

Aussies need 21 from 18. Five runs from Krunal's fourth over. is figures read: 4-0-17-1

India somehow in the game. Two new men in the centre, Handscomb and Ashton Turner.

Wicket: D'Arcy Short gone run out (37 off 37), thanks to a mixed up with Peter Handscomb. Good throw from Krunal Pandya and frenetic work from MS Dhoni, who slipped but somehow completed the work.

Umesh Yadav produced a good over to concede only three runs. Australia need 26 from 24.

Wicket: Glenn Maxwell finally out (56 off 43). Caught at long off by KL Rahul off Yuzvendra Chahal. Australia 89/3 after 13.3 overs. Australia still need 38 from 39 balls. Peter Handscomb is the new man in the centre.

Krunal Pandya continued his brilliant spell. Four runs from his third over. But debutant Mayank Markande was feeling the hit. He was hit for 11 runs in the 10th over, which also included a six off the blade of Glenn Maxwell. Australia 71/2 after 11 overs.

Mayank Markande got his first international over, and conceded seven runs. three singles off the first five balls, then D'Arcy Short hit the sixth ball for a four. Krunal Pandya leaked another five runs from his second over. Glenn Maxwell survived a direct hit.

Short (19 off 21) and Glenn Maxwell (36 off 27) have added 51 off 41 balls. Australia 56/2 after nine overs. They need another 71 runs from 66 balls.

Yuzvendra Chahal hit for a six and four off successive deliveries by Glenn Maxwell. 13 runs from the 6th over as Aussies take control of the chase. Krunal Pandya conceded three runs from his first over. Australia 44/2 after seven over.

Arrival of Glenn Maxwell means more drama and more boundaries. He hit Umesh Yadav for three fours in the fourth over. But there was some anxious moments too. India needed a direct hit to send Maxwell back. He is unbeaten on 16 off nine, while D'Arcy Short is on 11 off 15. Australia 28/2 after five overs.

Wicket: What a start from India. Jasprit Bumrah trapped Aaron Finch (0 off 1) in front. Glenn Maxwell is the new man in the centre. FoW - 5/2 (2.1 over). Australia 9/2 after two overs.

Good start from Jasprit Bumrah.  D'Arcy Short fended off the first four deliveries than hit the fifth for a boundary. Four runs from the first over. Yuzvendra Chahal shared the new ball, and the spinner leaked a single, taken by Marcus Stoinis. Then, a run-out. Stoinis (1 off 5). Good work from Umesh Yadav. Australia 5/1 after two overs.

KL Rahul, who's making a comeback, top scored for India with 50 off 36. For the Aussies, Nathan Coulter-Nile took three for 26.

INDIA INNINGS

India managed 126/7 after 20 overs, well below par score. MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 29 off 37 and he was involved in a 17-run stand with Yuzvendra Chahal (0 off 4). India started well but wickets and wickets killed their chance. They scored 45 runs losing four wickets in the last ten overs, and there was not a single boundary between 9 to 19.2 overs. Dhoni broke the shackle with a six off the second ball of the last over. But that's not enough.

India in all sorts of trouble in Vizag. 109/7 after 17 overs.

Wicket: Umesh Yadav trapped in front by Pat Cummins (2 off 4). Yuzvendra Chahal joined MS Dhoni in the centre. MS Dhoni unbeaten on 19 off 22.

Wickets: Then Rishabh Pant run out (3 off 5), KL Rahul caught by Aaron Finch off Nathan Coulter-Nile (50 off 36) and Dinesh Karthik bowled by Coulter-Nile (1 off 3) have gone. Rahul and Karthik gone in the same over. India 94/5 after 13 over. MS Dhoni (9 off 9) has got a new partner in Krunal Pandya.

Wicket: Virat Kohli departed 24(17), caught at long-on by Nathan Coulter-Nile off Adam Zampa. FoW - 69/2 (8.4 overs). Rishabh Pant is the new man in the centre.

45 runs from 27 balls between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli as the Indian batsmen continue to milk the Aussie bowlers. India - 59/1 after seven overs. Rahul 33 off 22, Kohli 19 off 12.

Virat Kohli's turn to treat the Vizag crowd with some classic drives. Fours off the second and fifth balls against Jason Behrendorff. 12 runs from the fifth over. India 38/1. Kohli on 11 off 7.

KL Rahul looking good. Two fours in the fourth over as Jhye Richardson leaked 11 runs. India 26/1 with Rahul on 20 off 13.

Wicket: And Rohit Sharma (5 off 8)gone. Caught at short fine leg by Adam Zampa off Jason Behrendorff. India opener was trying to be inventive. Paid the price. Bad execution. FoW - 14/1 (2.3 over). Virat Kohli is the new man for India.

Rohit Sharma faced the first delivery of the match from Jason Behrendorff. A single off the second ball, and KL Rahul blocked the four remaining deliveries. Jhye Richardson shared the new ball, and Rahul has punished him with two fours off the second and sixth balls. 11/0 after two overs for India.

TEAMS

India: Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Umesh Yadav, Mayank Markande, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

Meaning, no Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Vijay Shankar.

Australia:  Aaron Finch (c), D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb (wk), Ashton Turner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa

TOSS

Mayank Markande is making India debut, and Aussie captain Aaron Finch won the toss. India will bat first.

Even as Indian establishments, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), continue to work overtime to isolate Pakistan, Men in Blue are taking the field in the home comfort against Australia.

Virat Kohli-led India did not lose a series in Australia but could not maintain the momentum against the other half of Trans-Tasman, New Zealand. India had a blip in the Kiwi land, missing the series decider by four runs in the third T20I.

With an aim to regain their winning streak, India kick-start their home series against Australia at the ACA-VCDA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.