Analysis: Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel contributed significantly to India’s successful
With one game remaining, India managed to win the series despite being restricted to 174 for 9 by some precise death bowling from Australia.
With one game remaining, India managed to win the series despite being restricted to 174 for 9 by some precise death bowling from Australia. With combined figures of 8-0-33-4 on the two-paced Raipur track, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel contributed significantly to India’s successful defense.
The only player from Australia’s World Cup-winning XI in this T20 International, Travis Head, got off to a fast start in the chase, taking Deepak Chahar for 4, 4, 0, 6, 4, and 4 in the third over. Axar ended Head’s innings on 31 off 16 balls, just as the Indian supporters were starting to experience déjà vu all over again.
Jitesh Sharma, who had taken Ishan Kishan’s spot, and Rinku Singh’s attacking prowess allowed India to reach a respectable score. Only two Indian batters—Rinku and Jitesh to strike at over 150.
Gaikwad was on a run-a-ball 21 at one point in the third T20 International match in Guwahati, but he later found another gear and finished with an unbeaten 123 off 57 balls.
Gaikwad started the fourth game similarly slowly, but he was unable to find those upper gears. He only tried to hit a boundary five times in his 32 off 28 balls total.
At the other end, Jaiswal was more aggressive, scoring 37 off of 28 balls until Aaron Hardie forced him to hole out on the final ball of the power play.
Rinku, who batted in the ninth over, poked the ball into the gaps for a short while before hitting Matt Short with a vicious reverse-swept six. He attacked Ben Dwarshuis in the next over, hitting him for a 100-meter six over that was wide long-on.
Leg spinner Tanveer Sangha claimed wickets from both Gaikwad and Shreyas Iyer, who had come back to the T20I side.
India lost five wickets for just 13 runs in the final two overs, but Dwarshuis and Jason Behrendorff hit the mark with their variations.
In the power play, Axar and Bishnoi both came up to bowl, and between them, they gave up just two boundaries.
Josh Philippe’s off stump was knocked out for 8 by Bishnoi’s first ball. Australia made five changes on Friday, including Philippe, for a total of nine changes made by both squads.
Axar gave a statement performance to remind the selectors that he is still around, even though his T20I future is questionable as he is not included in the squad for the upcoming tour to South Africa.
Chahar who was making his first appearance for India since December 2022—did his share with the old ball, getting rid of Tim David (19) and Short (22) with slower variations.
Wade scored two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 36 from 23 balls, but it was unable to save the series.