Bengaluru, Dec 3 (UNI) Riding high on Shreyas Iyer’s half-century, India did well to post a challenging 160/8 on a slow track against Australia in a dead rubber of the 5-match T20I series at Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.
Iyer held the innings in the middle overs, and unleashed his attacking shots at the end, along with Axar Patel who notched up a crucial knock.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal looked in a punishing mood, but lost his wicket to Josh Behrendorff. The Mumbaikar top-edged on the pull and Nathan Ellis held on it running to his right from deep square after he made 21 off 15 balls.
Thereafter, a flurry of wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad (19), Captain Suryakumar Yadav (5) and Rinku Singh (6), put India in a spot of bother with India struggling at 55/4 in 9.1 overs.
Jitesh Sharma and Iyer knit a stand of 42 runs for fifth wicket before Axar played a very crucial knock of 31 off 21 balls with 2 boundaries and a six.
Iyer waited for the loose ball to get maximum under his belt and milk good balls around, before he was bowled by Ellish for 53 off 37 balls with five boundaries and 2 sixes.
For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis and Behrendorff were star bowlers who picked two wickets each, while Aaron Hardie, Ellis and Tanveer Sangha bagged a wicket each.
The Aussie pacers could get a good number of wickets as they quickly realised the slowness of the wicket, and bowled far too many cutters.
In reply, Australia were 55/3 in 7 overs with Australia needing 106 runs in 78 balls. Batting at the crease were Ben McDermott and Tim David on duck, respectively.
Josh Phillipe walked back to the pavilion after scoring 4, before an inside-edge rattled his timbers off the newly married Mukesh Kumar, and Travis Head was cleaned up by leggie Ravi Bishnoi for 28 off 18, an innings decorated with 4 boundaries and a six.
Bishnoi in his next over had Aaron Hardie caught by Iyer at long-on for 6 off 10 balls.
