(Cricket News) In the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, India thrashed Australia by 44 runs, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, riding high on another impressive batting performance and an exceptional session from leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
More than 400 runs were scored, just like in the first match in Visakhapatnam, but this time India made sure it was not a close match; asked to bat first, they posted 235/4, with the top three players recording half-centuries. Australia fought hard through the middle overs but ultimately finished well short, scoring 191/9 in their 20 overs.
After the visitors took a strong lead in the chase thanks to Steve Smith and Matthew Short, Bishnoi asserted his dominance by dismissing Josh Inglis, the game’s centurion, and then Glenn Maxwell and Smith fell quickly after, giving the impression that India would win handily.
Tim David, who was India’s most expensive bowler at the time and had dropped two catches in the previous game, looked worried as Australia mounted a comeback, scoring an 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket. They needed 97 runs to win off 40 balls, and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s face showed signs of concern. However, Bishnoi once again provided the breakthrough by dismissing David.
There was a little of a flurry towards the finish when skipper Matthew Wade scored an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls, but the asking rate had gone too high and the result was never in doubt. Stoinis was unable to follow through with a huge one either as Australia lost five wickets for 15 runs in the space of 21 balls.
It had looked like a good toss for Wade to win earlier, but both sides knew that dew would be an issue and that the patchy grass on the pitch could help spin. Australia strengthened their spin unit in response, bringing in World Cup winners Adam Zampa and Maxwell in lieu of Jason Behrendorff and Aaron Hardie, and rested finalist Travis Head once more.
