India beat Australia to register their highest successful T20I run-chase
India registered their highest successful T20I run-chase after beating Australia in Visakhapatnam. They chased down 209, with Suryakumar Yadav leading them from the front. He shared a century stand with Ishan Kishan. Rinku Singh added his finishing touch, with the match going down to the wire. Earlier, Australia were powered by a record-equaling century from Josh Inglis. Steven Smith also scored a fine half-century.
Australia score a mammoth 208/3
Australia had a superb start after India elected to field. Smith, who opened for the first time in international cricket, attacked despite losing Matthew Short (31/1). Inglis then joined Smith as the duo took Australia past 160. They reached 208/3, with the former scoring a record-breaking ton. Tim David's late flourish (19*) powered Australia, while Prasidh Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi took a wicket each.
Ishan, Suryakumar guide India to victory
India sustained a blow as Ruturaj Gaikwad departed for a diamond duck after a mix-up with Yashasvi Jaiswal. The latter smashed 21(8). Ishan and Suryakumar propelled India, who were 22/2 at one stage, past 130. However, Ishan and Tilak Varma were dismissed within 20 runs. SKY brought India closer to victory before they slumped from 194/4 to 208/8. However, Rinku got India home.
Ishan slams his fifth T20I fifty
Ishan was watchful at the start after India lost two quick wickets. He scored just one run off his first seven balls. However, the left-handed batter broke the shackles and hammered a 39-ball 58. His knock was studded with 2 fours and 5 sixes. Ishan slammed his fifth half-century in T20Is. He also got past 700 runs in the format.
Most sixes by a designated Indian wicket-keeper in T20Is
Ishan slammed five sixes, now the most by a designated Indian wicket-keeper in T20Is. He broke the record of Rishabh Pant, who hammered four maximums during his 42-ball 65* against the West Indies in 2019.
SKY plays a scintillating knock
Days after falling short in the ICC Cricket World Cup final against the same opposition, Suryakumar gained redemption with a scintillating knock. He played with his usual bravado, knocking pressure out of the park. Suryakumar played a captain's knock, having slammed 80 off 42 balls (9 fours and 4 sixes). SKY departed toward the end, but it was too late for the Aussies.
A power-packed knock from Inglis
Inglis joined Smith in the middle after Australia lost Short for 31 runs on the board. The former went after the Indian bowlers. He smashed 19 runs off the eighth over bowled by Prasidh. Inglis also hammered a flurry of boundaries against Bishnoi in the middle overs. He eventually smashed a 50-ball 110, his maiden T20I ton (11 fours and 8 sixes).
Inglis smashes joint-fastest T20I century for Australia
Inglis went on to slam the joint-fastest ton by an Australian batter in T20 Internationals. He equaled the record of former captain Aaron Finch, who hammered a 47-ball ton against England in 2013 in Southampton. Notably, Glenn Maxwell is the only other Australian to have scored a T20I ton in less than 50 balls (49 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2016).
Australia's fastest T20I centurion against India
According to Bharath Seervi, Inglis has become Australia's fastest centurion against India in T20I cricket. He went past Maxwell, who smashed a 50-ball ton against India in 2019. Overall, the one from Inglis was the second-fastest T20I ton against India after David Miller (46 balls).
Smith's fifth T20I half-century
Smith came out of his comfort zone and displayed his attacking strokes throughout the innings. He smashed a 41-ball 52, a knock laced with eight fours. Smith, who laid a solid platform for Australia, departed in the 16th over through a run-out. The right-handed batter recorded his fifth half-century in the shortest format. It was his first T20I fifty in four years.
A forgettable evening for the Indian bowlers
Only Prasidh and Bishnoi managed to open their accounts in terms of wickets. The duo took a wicket each. Interestingly, both of them conceded more than 50 runs in four overs. Arshdeep also leaked in excess of 40 runs in four overs (41/0). Meanwhile, Axar Patel (32/0) and Mukesh Kumar (29/0) had better numbers. Mukesh conceded just five runs in the innings' final over.
Unwanted records for the Indian bowlers
As per Bharath Seervi, this was just the fourth instance of two Indian bowlers conceding 50+ runs in a T20I. Notably, Bishnoi conceded the joint third-most runs by an Indian spinner in a T20I.
