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India vs Australia 2018 T20 Series: Who is responsible for first loss?

India vs Australia 2018 T20 Series: Who is responsible for first loss?

Shikhar Dhawan’s explosive innings of 76 runs came to India very close to the target, but with his dismissal, the target got deteriorated. However, Dinesh Karthik (30 off 13 balls) and Rishabh Pant (20 off 15 balls) added 51 runs for the fifth wicket, but in the last over when 13 runs were needed, India lost two wickets and reached only 169 runs. In this way, India lost the first T20 game by four runs from the Duckworth-Lewis method in Australia. Australia has been successful in making a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second T20 will be played in Melbourne on November 23. Marcus Stoinis was the real hero of Australia’s win, gave only eight runs in the last over and in the meantime took the wickets of Krunal Pandya and Dinesh Kartik. Earlier, he also played an important innings of 33 not out on 19 balls. Apart from him, Glenn Maxwell scored 46 runs in 25 balls, including four sixes. Chris Lynn hit 37 off 20 balls with the help of four sixes.

The Indian innings continued to revolve around Shikhar Dhawan because his opening partner Rohit Sharma (07) was looking out of form from the beginning. Dhawan took an aggressive attitude against Jason Behrendorf, who dismissed Rohit in the 3rd Over. Dhawan hit six and two fours over Behrendorf in the square leg and in the 29 balls he completed his ninth half-century of his career. But after this, the Australian bowlers dominated Indian batting order. Dhawan hit ten fours and two sixes in his 42-ball knock.

K.L Rahul (13 runs in 12 balls) failed once again. Spinner Adam Zampa (2 for 22) registered him as his first wicket of the game. Captain Virat Kohli (four runs in eight balls) was the second target of this spinner. If Jampa had not left the easy catch of Dhawan on his own ball then Indian batting situation could have been worse.

India needed 60 runs in the last four overs. Pant and Karthik scored 25 runs in the over of Andrew Tie. Maxwell caught the shot of Karthik, but he could not save himself from crossing the boundary line and the ball did not leave it at the right time. This made the match exciting. 12 balls and India needed 24 runs at that moment and Karthik hit on the square, but Pant gave away the catch by playing a wrong reverse scoop shot. However, on the next ball, Kartik scored a boundary and India got the target of 13 runs in the last over but Stonis (27/2) managed to defend this.

About the author

Abhishek Lohia

Abhishek Lohia was a Sports and Political Writer working for Newsfolo and is no longer associated with the organization.

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