India edged past Australia in the first T20 International of their five-match series, on in Canberra on Wednesday. After winning the toss, Australia chose to bat first but were unable to find momentum in their innings. The home team was skittled out for just 236 runs in the 47th over. Matt Renshaw was the pick of the batsmen, with the 20-year-old making a fine 56 on his debut match for Australia.
In reply, Harshit Rana was the pick of Indian bowlers with four wickets for 39 runs. His sublime assessment of the pitch again played a prominent role in breaking the Australian batting order down with brutal efficiency. In reply, India wasted no time chasing down the target, scoring 237 runs at the expense of just two wickets. They went on to win their first T20 title in style with 69 balls to spare.
Shubman Gill contributed to the innings but fell short at 24 runs, caught behind off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood. India soon regained control in the hands of a strong partnership between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The duo went on to create a new unbroken partnership of 168 runs, taking India to a comprehensive 77 run victory over Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma was literally the backbone of India’s innings, scoring 121 not out, his 50th international hundred. His partner, the diminutive Virat Kohli, proved equally aggressive and damaging as he stayed not out on 74 runs. Kohli put in a dazzling performance, overtaking Kumar Sangakkara. His feat made him the second-highest run scorer in T20 internationals, further cementing his than of the format.
This match was the first of a high-scoring, closely-fought five-match T20 series between the two teams. The series moves to its next battleground in a couple weeks, as both teams hope to prove their superiority over one another in this contentious matchup.
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