Indian bowlers restrict Australia to 118 for 8

Ranchi:  Indian bowlers did not take their foot off the pedal as Australia were restricted to a meagre 118 for 8 when rain stopped play after 18.4 overs in the first T20 International, here tonight. 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) tyoe 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 a 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 intent clear with successive boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the first over. Warner 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.