Australia post 194/5 in second T20I versus India
Matthew Wade's sparkling 32-ball 58 helped Australia post 194/5 in the second T20I against India at the SCG on Sunday. Wade, who is leading the Aussies in the absence of an injured Aaron Finch, showed his prowess upfront. On a good batting surface, the Indian bowlers struggled to find their rhythm. Here's the mid innings report.
Australia dominate the show in powerplay overs
Australia posted 59/1 in the powerplay overs (1-6), with Wade doing a fine job. The southpaw had raced to 47 from just 24 balls. Notably, Wade didn't allow the Indian bowlers to settle down, showing his intent right from the first over which was bowled by Deepak Chahar. T Natarajan, who bowled just one over, claimed the wicket of D'Arcy Short (9).
Indian spinners ineffective with the ball
Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar had conceded just 41 runs between them in the first T20I from eight overs, however, in this match the two weren't effective. Sundar conceded 35 runs, whereas, Chahal gave away 51 runs. They bowled at an economy rate of 10.75. Credit goes to Wade and Steve Smith for not allowing the two to settle down.
Wade deserves praise for his impact
Wade filled in the void left by Finch to perfection. The experienced campaigner was aggressive and targeted the Indian bowlers, disrupting their line and length. Wade smashed 10 fours and six at a strike rate of 181.25. He struck his second T20I fifty.
Natarajan is proving to be a class act
T Natarajan is growing with each game for Team India. The left-arm pacer, who marked his ODI debut with figures of 2/70, claimed three wickets (3/30) on his T20I debut as well. And now, he went on to accumulate another two scalps in the second T20I. He mixed his pace well and bowled with a lot of precision. Natarajan conceded just 20 runs.
Aussies stitch useful partnerships, India pay for inconsistency
Australian batsmen stitched several useful partnerships that helped them amass a big total. Smith's 38-ball 46 was a calculated innings. He held the innings together. All-rounders Glenn Maxwell (22), Moises Henriques (26) and Marcus Stoinis (16*) chipped in with some useful contributions. The Indian bowlers were inconsistent and bowled too short. Meanwhile, India were sloppy with their fielding. This has become a regular phenomenon.
