Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara in runs during warm-up match against Australia ‘A’
While the former took to the attacking gear from the word 'go', Pujara was at his usual self as he steadied the Indian innings.
Hardik Pandya took the limelights again as he smashed two sixes in the last over to help India win the second T20I of the three-match series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Sunday.
With a win in the first match as well, India have now taken a 2-0 unassailable lead in the T20I series. It is also India’s first T20I series win over Australia since 2016.
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Shikhar Dhawan’s 52 and captain Virat Kohli’s 40 along with a 22-ball 30 from K.L. Rahul helped India bring the equation down to 14 runs needed off the last over in their chase of a target of 195. Pandya, who had back-to-backk fours in the second last over bowled by Andrew Tye, was on strike against Daniel Sams and took two runs off the first ball. He then hit the second ball wide of long-on and cleared the boundary.
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Pandya then tried to get an upper cut on the third ball but missed it completely before depositing the fourth past deep midwicket over the boundary. The partnership between Pandya and Shreyas Iyer, who scored 12 off five balls, remained unbeaten on 46. It was India’s second highest partnership after the opening stand of 56 between Dhawan and Rahul.
Sams, Tye, Mitchell Swepson and Adam Zampa got a wicket each as Australia bowled as many as seven bowlers.
Earlier, Matthew Wade, who was standing in as Australia’s captain and opening batsman in place of the injured Aaron Finch, scored 58 off 32 balls as Australia scored 194/5. Steve Smith scored 46 off 38 while Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques and Marcus Stoinis chipped in from the lower order to take Australia close to the 200-run mark.
With IANS inputs.
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