Spinners run riot as India outplay Aussies to take 2-1 T20I series lead

 

Even though India lost the ODI series in Australia, they ensured the same wouldn’t happen in the T20Is. On Thursday, Suryakumar Yadav and his men defeated Australia by 48 runs in the fourth T20I at Gold Coast. After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, India posted 167/8, before bowling out Australia for just 119. With this victory, India now lead the series 2-1, with the fifth and final match scheduled for Saturday in Brisbane.

Despite the win, concerns remain over India’s batting lineup. With the T20 World Cup not far away, the team’s core should ideally have been settled by now. However, Gautam Gambhir and the team management continued their experimentation in the fourth game as well. The playing XI remained unchanged, but the batting order saw a reshuffle. Shivam Dube was promoted up the order, Tilak Varma was pushed to the middle, and Axar Patel came in at No. 8.

India’s batting struggles, however, were masked by an impressive bowling performance. Axar Patel stood out with his smart and disciplined spell. Shivam, despite failing with the bat, bowled with good control under pressure. Towards the end, Washington Sundar wrapped up the Australian innings almost single-handedly. At one stage, India looked to be in trouble, but the bowlers completely turned the game around—each one of them contributing with wickets.

It was India’s first-ever game against Australia at Gold Coast, and they had little idea about how the pitch would behave. Even Aussie captain Mitchell Marsh admitted at the toss that his team was unfamiliar with the surface. Eventually, it was India who adapted better.

The pitch was slow, and the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat, making stroke play difficult from the start. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma tried to play across the line, but the large outfield made boundaries hard to come by. Nathan Ellis troubled the Indian batters consistently with off-cutters and variations. To make matters worse, the inconsistent bounce meant some deliveries stayed low while others kicked up sharply. In the sixth over, a ball from Marcus Stoinis bounced awkwardly and struck Abhishek under the helmet, forcing a concussion check.

Still, India managed close to 50 runs in the Powerplay before losing their first wicket. Perhaps a bit shaken after the blow, Abhishek (28)  looked to counterattack—he hit Adam Zampa for a six but was dismissed two balls later.

When it was time for the No. 3 batter, everyone expected Suryakumar or Tilak to walk in, but to everyone’s surprise, Shivam Dube was sent up. It was an unusual move, especially in a crucial series-deciding match. The experiment didn’t work—Shivam made 22 off 18 balls, striking at just over 100. Suryakumar, batting at four, scored 20, while Shubman top-scored with 46, his highest of the series, though he took too many balls to get there.

Tilak Varma, batting at five, once again found himself adjusting to a new position—a problem that has persisted since the Asia Cup. He managed only 5 off 6 balls. Jitesh Sharma (5) and Washington Sundar (12) also failed to contribute.

Axar Patel, curiously sent in at No. 8, played a brisk cameo of 21 off 11 balls. Given more deliveries, he could have pushed India’s total even higher.

Australia’s innings began aggressively, as if they were batting on a different pitch. After a cautious start, they attacked Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, taking 15 and 9 runs off consecutive overs.

India’s breakthrough came in the fifth over when Axar trapped Matthew Short(25) , with a successful DRS review taken on his insistence. Soon after, Marsh’s catch went down off Varun’s bowling, but Axar struck again by dismissing Josh Inglis (12) in the ninth over. That wicket broke Australia’s rhythm—Marsh (30) fell shortly after, and Tim David (14) hit a massive six off Shivam before being dismissed next ball.

Australia had pinned their hopes on Glenn Maxwell, but he failed too—out for just 2 to Varun. The rest of the collapse was orchestrated by Washington Sundar. Coming on to bowl the 17th over, he removed both Stoinis (17) and Xavier Bartlett (0). In the next over, Jasprit Bumrah bowled Ben Dwarshuis (5) with a perfect yorker.

By then, the required run rate had climbed beyond reach. Washington sealed India’s win in the 19th over by dismissing Adam Zampa (0), completing a 48-run victory and putting India 2–1 ahead in the series.