Bowling first after won the toss, the Men in Blue bowlers struggled as Australia posted 208/3. Josh Inglis slapped 110 off 50 balls, while Steven Smith contributed 52 off 41. India got off to a shaky start in the chase, but Suryakumar and Ishan Kishan (58 off 39) played whirlwind knocks. Rinku Singh (22* off 14) chipped in with a nice cameo at the end as India got home by two wickets with one ball to spare.
India got off to a good start with the ball as Ravi Bishnoi (1/54) cleaned up Matthew Short for 13. However, Smith and Inglis added 130 run for the second wicket to ensure Australia finished with an impressive total. Inglis was the aggressor in the partnership even as Smith struck eight fours in his knock.
The partnership ended after Smith was run out after mistiming a pull to short fine leg. Inglis had come a long way down the wicket and the former Australian captain ended up sacrificing his wicket. Inglis reached a blazing hundred in just 47 balls, guiding a low full toss from Arshdeep Singh (0/41) past the keeper for four.
Inglis’ brilliant knock, which featured 11 fours and eight sixes, ended when he holed out in the deep while trying to take on Prasidh Krishna (1/50). At the other end, Tim David chipped in with a useful cameo of 19 not out in 13 balls, hitting two fours and a six.
Chasing a huge total, the Men in Blue got off to a disastrous start as Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) was run out without facing a delivery. He was called for a second by Yashasvi Jaiswal, only to be sent back, by when it was too late. Jaiswal himself perished to Short for 21 off 8.
Suryakumar and Ishan, however, added 112 runs for the third wicket to lift the Indian side. The later eased past his half-century with a four and six off Tanveer Sangha (2/47) before perishing to the young leg-spinner, looking for another big hit.
Suryakumar played a typical SKY knock, finding the gaps with precision. He clobbered nine fours and four sixes before falling to a brilliant diving catch by Aaron Hardie off Jason Behrendorff. There were some nervous moments for India in the end as Axar Patel’s (2) dismissal was followed by two run outs. Rinku, however, kept his head and took India over the line. He slammed the last ball for six, but did not get the runs as the bowler, Sean Abbott, had overstepped.
--By A Cricket Correspondent
