1st T20I: India crush Australia by 9 wickets in rain-hit match, take 1-0 lead

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Ranchi, Oct 7: India defeated Australia by 9 wickets via Duckworth-Lewis method in the first Twenty20 International here on Saturday (October 7). They have now taken 1-0 lead in the series.

Match Scorecard

Set a target of 48 from six overs, the hosts overhauled the total in 5.3 overs after losing the only wicket of Rohit Sharma in the chase. Skipper Virat Kohli scored 22 off 14 deliveries while comeback man Shikhar Dhawan remained unbeaten at 15 (13 balls).

The skipper hit the winning runs for the side. Nathan Coulter-Nile gave the Australians their only breakthrough after removing Rohit Sharma for 11.

Earlier, Indian bowlers once again remained ruthless to restrict Australia to a paltry 118 for 8 when rain stopped play after 18.4 overs in the first T20 International, here tonight.

The visitors' innings ended as the rainy spell prolonged. Earlier, Australia's batting woes continued as they once again failed to read Kuldeep Yadav's left-arm wrist spin.

Yadav finished with figures of 2/16 in 4 overs, complemented well by Jasprit Bumrah's (2/17 in 3 overs) crushing yorkers.

Yuzvendra Chahal (1/23 in 4 overs) also played his part to perfection. Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar got a wicket apiece.

Australia were off to a flyer with 50 runs coming off 37 balls but Chahal provided the vital breakthroughs, dismissing his bunny Glenn Maxwell for the fourth time in four games.

Maxwell, who is often called 'Big Show' for promising much and delivering too little as he gave a simple catch to Bumrah at short mid-wicket.

This was after Kuldeep dismissed Aaron Finch (42) and Moises Henriques (8) off successive overs. It was Finch's dismissal that brought about Australia's downfall. Finch looked in fine form with four boundaries and one six but against Yadav, he looked determined to play the sweep shot.

After playing five sweep shots, Yadav bowled one fuller that breached his defence. The wicket virtually sent alarm bells ringing in the Australians camp as Yadav and Chahal went through the middle overs restricting their flow of runs before Bumrah's twin bursts in the 18th over.

Earlier, David Warner made his intentions clear with successive boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first over. The left-handed opener looked for a third boundary with a similar slash but was played on, done in by the length as Bhuvneshwar had the last laugh in a battle between the two Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates.

Warner is leading the visitors as their regular skipper Steve Smith was ruled out of the series due to injury.

After winning the toss Kohli said, "We are gonna bowl first. There's a bit of weather around, so we would like to know where we are placed. I don't think the pitch will be much better in the second innings but the weather is a massive factor.

"T20 is a format where you can't take any team for granted, let alone Australia. The beginning is important, and one window here and there and Australia might pounce. From the last game, Axar is out and Kuldeep is in. Shikhar Dhawan replaces Ajinkya Rahane."

Warner, on the other hand, was happy after Kohli invited him to bat. "Looking forward to this. Looks like a great wicket. I'm honoured to be the captain. I think the pitch is exactly like how it looked in the Test match. The ball will come on slowly towards the end."

(With inputs from PTI)