- India win by six wickets with two balls to spare at SCG
- Tourists seize momentum heading into Test series
On that note, thanks for your company throughout this brilliant, topsy-turvy contest. If there is a one-day international at Cape Town tomorrow, I’ll be with you for that, and if not, the OBO returns on Tuesday for the final T20 of this series. Bye!
Hardik Pandya, named man of the match, is speaking now. 42 not out from 22 balls with two sixes in the final over. Quite spectacular. “I felt that two good hits (would do it). It’s fantastic, more than the six I wanted to finish it because I’ve played a couple of games even with six off three; it can go to the wire and I don’t like that, I like to finish it early, so I went to whack it anyway.” He sure does. What a talent.
Another HUUUUGE SIX to win it! Pandya loads up over midwicket and makes no mistake! What a way to end it; what a way to win the series. They get to the finish line with two balls to spare in spectacular fashion. Wow.
19.4 overs: India 195-4 (Pandya 42*, Shreyas 12*) Target 195.
19.3 overs: India 189-4 (Pandya 36, Shreyas 12) Target 195. Pandya tries to uppercut the short ball after charging but misses! Dot! Six off three needed.
19.2 overs: India 189-4 (Pandya 36, Shreyas 12) Target 195. BOOOOOM! Pandya clears the front leg and the long-on rope! SIX OF THE BEST! Six from four needed.
19.1 overs: India 183-4 (Pandya 30, Shreyas 12) Target 195. Two to deep backard point from the first ball, well run. Pandya keeps the strike. 12 off five needed.
19th over: India 181-4 (Pandya 28, Shreyas 12) Target 195. Pandya down the ground for a couple, well run. Tye responds with an inch-perfect knuckle ball, right on the edge of the tram tracks - a swing and miss. Pandya then changes his bat mid-over, which is ridiculous but that’s modern cricket. It works though, a full toss spitting over short third for four! Two to come, can Tye get out of it without conceding another boundary? He cannot! Four more to Pandya over cover, picking up the knuckle ball and making no mistake. A quicker off-cutter to finish, straight to backward point, Sams has a ping at the non-strikers’ end and misses. Had the throw been a direct hit, Pandya would be finished. Instead, the man on debut walks over the bowling crease to bowl the final over. India need 14 runs from it. Buckle up!
18th over: India 170-4 (Pandya 17, Shreyas 12) Target 195. Zampa starts the over well - a big shout for leg before against Pandya going upstairs but had an inside edge on it. But it is Shreyas who wants to take ownership of the situation, launching long and high into the O’Reilly Stand! 111 metres if you don’t mind! And to finish the over he’s deep in the crease and cutting hard and flat and into the gap for four more! Fantastic cricket, this. Zampa didn’t do a lot wrong but they’ve picked 12 off his final over. 25 from 12 is the new equation; Tye to bowl the 19th.
17th over: India 158-4 (Pandya 16, Shreyas 1) Target 195. Ooh, Pandya isn’t in control of the edge to end the over but it doesn’t matter with third man inside the circle - four runs, nine off it. But Kohli’s wicket was worth that, and some. 37 needed now from the final 18 balls, Zampa to bowl the 18th. In the past, Pandya has been able to get hold off the leggie but he won’t be on strike to begin here.
What a first wicket for Sams! Kohli danced and made room so the the left-armer pushed the ball wide of his swinging arc and won the edge to Wade! Big!
16th over: India 141-3 (Kohli 40, Pandya 8) Target 195. A risk-free approach against the dangerous Zampa, happy to take eight runs to the sweepers. Four overs to go and Wade has options with Sams (2), Abbott (2), Tye (1), Maxwell (3), Henriques (3) and Zampa (1) all at the captain’s disposal. It’s Sams to come with over 17.
15th over: India 141-3 (Kohli 36, Pandya 4) Target 195. Back to AJ Tye, who has so much experience bowling at this stage of an innings. But all the experience in the world can’t protect someone from Kohli when hitting them this well, jumping across his stumps to lap a SIX like it isn’t even a thing! Either side of that, two boundaries: one through midwicket, another through the cordon off an edge. 18 off it all up, leaving 54 from the last five overs. We have a grandstand finish.
14th over: India 123-3 (Kohli 20, Pandya 3) Target 195. Well bowled Mitch Swepson, 1/25 from his four. Built pressure each time he was on, gave away very little - no boundaries. He really is the man in waiting across the formats now. India need two runs a ball from here but in reality, they need Pandya to go with Kohli.
Samson dances and slaps but straight to Smith at long-off! Swepson earned that.
13th over: India 118-2 (Kohli 19, Samson 14) Target 195. Sams, who bowled a classy over to begin this Australian defence, is back into the attack. It’s here where the left-armer can dig into his bag of tricks but Samson is up for that challenge, leaning back in the crease to cut through backward point for four - what a shot. And now he has his eye in, Samson goes HUGE over backward square, getting absolutely all of it - ever so close to landing in the top deck of the Trumper Stand! Right, to take stock, 13 off the over leaves 77 from 42 with Pandya surely the next man in.
12th over: India 105-2 (Kohli 19, Samson 1) Target 195. Oh gosh, stop it! Virat is beaten in the flight by Zampa after charging down the track but has enough skill to adjust his strong and enough strength to almost intentionally mis-hit it over extra cover for SIX! Sure, big bats help with that kind of trick, but it’s Kohli’s eye that makes it possible to begin with. Zampa has two to bowl, Swepson one.
And there is the mistake! Zampa wins a biiiig top edge from Dhawan on the sweep and it lands in the safe hands of Swepson at long leg. It’s fitting given the work of the other leggie down also contributed to the opener’s downfall.
11th over: India 94-1 (Dhawan 52, Kohli 10) Target 195. That’s Swepson’s best over yet, really ripping his wrong’un at Dhawan and nearly getting through. No boundary balls here. The required rate of 11 and a bit won’t worry this experienced Indian pair but they can’t afford to make many mistakes from here and still win.
10th over: India 86-1 (Dhawan 45, Kohli 8) Target 195. Zampa isn’t daunted by Kohli, a man he has dismissed a number of times in international cricket. And he’s spot on from the outset with his attacking topspinners, denying both players a chance to free their arms, taking five singles instead. India need 109 from 60 balls.
9th over: India 81-1 (Dhawan 42, Kohli 6) Target 195. Much as it was in the previous set, Swepson going for eight isn’t much of an issue here for the hosts. It’s now time for Zampa, Australia’s No1 spinner, who is set to bowl four of the 11 overs to come.
NOT OUT! Not far away after the opener lifted his back foot, but it was down just in time. Wade makes a gag about Dhoni being the only man sharp enough for that.
HAS WADE STUMPED DHAWAN? Some very clever glovework. Upstairs we go.
8th over: India 73-1 (Dhawan 36, Kohli 5) Target 195. Not a bad shout from Wade to get Henriques on for an over with the field out. Dhawan cuts hard and well into a gap for four but, eight off it? Australia would take that. India need just on ten an over from here. They play YMCA between overs. One day, during a rainy OBO, I’ll tell you the story of how I was involved in two world record YMCA efforts - the most people doing it at the same time - in two different continents in two weeks. A pure coincidence, I should add - I wasn’t seeking out that particular certificate.
7th over: India 64-1 (Dhawan 30, Kohli 2) Target 195. Field back, legspinner on. Mitchell Swepson, who picked up Kohli in Canberra, bowls to him again here now. And what a fine start, just four singles. Nice, flat legbreaks throughout. A lot to like about a new wristspinner and another Australian player named Mitchell.
6th over: India 60-1 (Dhawan 24, Kohli 0) Target 195. Supreme timing from Dhawan, leaning into a square drive that runs away for four with the field still up. But that’s all they get - a boundary and the wicket of Rahul to end the power play.
The slower ball does it! Rahul played for pace that wasn’t there this time, miscuing to Swepson running in off the rope at deep point. The roar from the Indian fans is a loud one, not because the opener is out but it means Kohli is now on his way.
5th over: India 56-0 (KL Rahul 30, Dhawan 24) Target 195. The pressure stays on, Rahul slamming a square drive of Abbott behind point for another four. It prompts the right-armer to retrieve the headband before going again. He recovers well but to finish the over, Dhawan goes large once more, down the track and pulling mid-charge - another SIX over midwicket. What a shot. The 50 stand is up.
4th over: India 43-0 (KL Rahul 24, Dhawan 17) Target 195. Wade turns to Maxwell, who finds himself bowling inside power plays quite a bit, but this time it doesn’t work with Rahul lifting him over short fine for four then Dhawan heaving over midwicket for SIX! That is BIG! And it continues with a paddle past short fine for three, now a carve for four. 17 off his four balls; 19 by the time he’s done. Eeek.
3rd over: India 24-0 (KL Rahul 16, Dhawan 6) Target 195. Oooh, what about this time? Second ball, Tye goes past Rahul’s inside edge at pace. It’s given not out. No review! The technology show it would have bee umpire’s call, so no overturn. Swing and a miss later in the over, outside the off-stump. Lots to like about this start from the Australian quicks. Oooh, but it is a no-ball, called by the third umpire and rightly so. He’s only a little bit over but that’s all that matters. Free hit, SIX RUNS OVER COVER! That stings the Australians after so much good work. Four more to finish, a legitimate outside edge through third slip off Dhawan’s bat, and somehow it turns into an over worth 15 runs. Painful for the captain Wade.
HAS TYE PICKED UP DHAWAN LBW FIRST BALL? Wade wants another look... and no he hasn’t, it has just pitched outside leg. NOT OUT!
2nd over: India 9-0 (KL Rahul 7, Dhawan 2) Target 195. Sean Abbott, bowling in the black headband, continues the tight start. He’s helped in this task by Dhawan who twice picks out cover from overpitched deliveries, but a good start all the same.
1st over: India 5-0 (KL Rahul 5, Dhawan 0) Target 195. Lovely movement from Sams first up, decking towards Rahul and whacking him in the thigh. Ooh, and he’s now beaten outside the off-stump with the one that goes the other way. Everyone likes that. A couple to third man gets him off the mark, albeit after a slip at the non-strikers’ end. Another couple in that direction later in the over too, albeit from a false stroke and in the air, then a single to finish. Really good start from Sams. He’s been waiting some time for this chance after living in the bubble for a month in England then doing likewise over the last few weeks for these two series.
The players are back out there. Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have the job up top for the visitors. Fine players, both. Daniel Sams, on debut, has the ball. PLAY!
And on that topic, Tim de Lisle makes a very good point in the OBO on what a magnificent effort it was that the English summer went ahead as planned.
Related: South Africa v England: first ODI - live!
As I inhale my Hotel Quarantine dinner, the latest from South Africa via Ali Martin who has been with the England team on this tour for the newspaper.
Related: England tour in doubt after first ODI abandoned and 'unconfirmed' positives
20th over: Australia 194-5 (Stoinis 16, Sams 8) Okay, Chahar to bowl the final over. Stoinis gets two down the ground then three into the gap at backward point. Sams does likewise in that direction to the long boundary, cut off by Pandya running around just in time. Stoinis again and he lifts a SIX over point! The final ball now and it is hiiiigh into the sky and there’s nearly collision between the fielders but thankfully there’s no contact. 62 from the final five, they’ll be happy with that.
19th over: Australia 177-5 (Stoinis 2, Sams 5) I’ve done Stoinis a disservice saying he isn’t a finisher. It’s not that he can’t do the job, as we saw in at different times in the IPL, it is more that as a slower starter he is far more effective when the field is up. It’s Sams, the man on debut, making the running to finish here though, holding his stance to carve out over point for four runs. Good strike. ZOMBIE NATION plays out around the SCG, which is something we can all support.
Yep, there’s a spot on the bat the technology shows - he’s out.
IS HENRIQUES OUT CAUGHT BEHIND? He’s given out but reviews right away.
18th over: Australia 169-4 (Henriques 25, Stoinis 0) Stoinis isn’t a finisher, which he all-but says himself, but a finisher he will need to be over the next twelve balls.
A juggling take on the cover rope! Pandya put Wade down earlier but holds on this time after Smith went inside-out to access the off-side. Chahal wins the contest.
17th over: Australia 159-3 (Smith 40, Henriques 21) Thakur has a lot going on with all the slower deliveries a T20 bowler could ask for, including the knuckle ball. It denies the Australians a boundary, their seven runs coming in 1s and 2s. Smith is clearly frustrated, his 40 from 35. A prediction for you: there are going to be a lot of pundits/former players calling for his head in the team after this innings. But thankfully, the brains trust of Australian cricket have slightly longer memories.
Wade innings is also showing the folly of playing T20 top order players out of position for Aust and then not selecting middle order specialists #AUSvIND
16th over: Australia 152-3 (Smith 37, Henriques 16) That’s much better. Smith dances and launches Chahal straight back over his head for SIX! He needed that after a couple of quiet overs. Later in the set, he shapes up to switch hit but misses everything. Chahal saw him coming and tossed it wide, but it is outside the tram tracks and signalled accordingly and runs away for three wides. Henriques turn to get stuck in and makes it a second big onein the over, lifting the leggie over backward square. 20 off it, taking the hosts beyond 150 with a bullet.
15th over: Australia 132-3 (Smith 30, Henriques 8) Natarajan has two overs to bowl from the final six for India. Smith isn’t going through the gears they way they need him to through, reaching 30 from 30 balls with just five from this set. For the first half of the innings 200 looked in the frame, 175 might now be more realistic.
14th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 29, Henriques 4) Sundar had a tough start but has completed his work well, just four singles and a couple of dots to finish with 0/35.
13th over: Australia 123-3 (Smith 27, Henriques 2) Before Maxwell’s dismissal, Smith twice clipped into the gap behind square for four. That isn’t a shot we see often from him in the longer form of the game but he’s turned it into his strongest stroke when wearing the T20 uniform. Looks well set for the final push.
Maxwell tries to thump Thakur onto the moon over midwicket but gets a fat top edge instead, landing safely with Sundar on the circle at backward point. Well bowled by the clever right-armer, backing his slower delivery to Maxwell.
12th over: Australia 111-2 (Smith 17, Maxwell 22) Maxwell takes Chahal on again, pulling over midwicket and justclearing the rope. He didn’t quite nail his footwork but made up for it with timing and power. He likes that spot once more later in the over, albeit on the bounce to the sweeper. They’re well on track for 200 here.
11th over: Australia 100-2 (Smith 13, Maxwell 15) That’s a super shot from Steve Smith, clipping expertly behind square for four. They’re both happy enough rotating the strike thereafter off Chahar, the No3 keeping the strike. Adam Gilchrist on telly says it was a “landmark moment” in Australian sport when the national anthem was sung by the Wallabies last night in two languages. In case you missed it, truly spine-tingling stuff. I hope we see it for cricket soon but, well, we’ll see.
Sing it loud and sing it proud - what an incredible rendition of our National Anthem #AUSvARGpic.twitter.com/sKRUkZBSCK
10th over: Australia 91-2 (Smith 7, Maxwell 12) Oh Glenn, deary me! How has he flatbatted Chahal for six over cover with his back knee kissing the turf? I need every bit of entertainment I can get while living in Hotel Quarantine. On that basis, can I just have ten overs of Maxwellball? He loads up for the switch hit to finish but Chahal pushes it through, beating the bat. Excellent adaptation from the leggie.
A statement in on the South Africa v England cancellation. The big news: there are two positive tests in the England camp. The ECB are going to be fuming.
...
9th over: Australia 81-2 (Smith 6, Maxwell 3) Maxwell walks in with 12 overs to go and a short boundary at his disposal. Oh boy, this could be fun. That’s not the play in this over though, singles taken from each delivery. He retains the strike.
Kohli drops Wade then runs him out! He puts down the easy chance at cover but, in the mess of it all, the captain didn’t see what happened and was run out easily. Chaos! What a shame for the Tasmanian, he really was batting magnificently.
8th over: Australia 75-2 (Smith 3)
7th over: Australia 68-1 (Wade 53, Smith 2) Smith is hit in the box and Chahar has Kohli send it upstairs for an lbw review! It was a slower ball, it might have been dipping, but it wasn’t the right call, going over. Earlier in the over, Wade brought up his half-century with another slam through point - his best shot. You can’t bowl there to him, it doesn’t matter what the format is. To the milestone in 24 balls.
6th over: Australia 59-1 (Wade 47, Smith 0) Thakur drops his slower ball short at Wade to begin the final over of the power play and the left-hander does not miss out with the short boundary, pulling it ferociously - four more. But he should be caught in that very spot next ball! A change in the field from Kohli doesn’t dissuade Wade, who short-arm jabs towards the midwicket rope but Pandya can’t hold on, the ball spilling over the rope. Wade isn’t going to stop, loading up over extra cover - again through the air - for a third four in the over. Can he complete a half-century inside the first six overs? Not quite, his final pull is cut off at square leg. But what a fantastic start for the southpaw, finding the boundary nine times and clearing it once from 23 deliveries while the field was up. Advantage Australia.
5th over: Australia 47-1 (Wade 35, Smith 0) The wicket slows everything down, Smith absorbing three dots to begin after Short’s departure. Well bowled again.
Second ball, the left-arm quick does the trick again! A very useful catch from Shreyes Iyer, taking it with hands up above his eyeline at deep midwicket.
4th over: Australia 46-0 (Wade 34, Short 9) Four, four! Wade is into the 30s in the space of 16 balls. The first boundary is via an inside edge, but he’s rewarded for swinging hard. No complaints about the second, another pull shot hammered, bouncing just before the rope. Short’s turn later in the over and the result is the same, making room to crunch Sundar’s spin through point. 15 off it; they’re flying.
Already regretting the decision to bowl first?
3rd over: Australia 31-0 (Wade 25, Short 3) Thakur’s turn but he doesn’t get a chance to ease into his work, Wade pulling hard from his hip and into the gap for another boundary. Short has only faced three balls so far, taking singles from each - a winning strategy with his opening partner in this kind of form. Wade smokes another drive to cover but this time it is cut off. Eight from the over.
“On of the most bizzare Australian team line ups I’ve seen,” says Sam Kitchner. “Almost seems like a joke. No Carey is mind-boggling. What does this say about his place in the line up now?”
2nd over: Australia 23-0 (Wade 19, Short 2) Short is off the mark with a single first up then Wade needs no second invitation to take on the short boundary to the members side of the ground, immediately slog-sweeping the spin of Sundar over backward square for SIX! Ten off the over all up, with Wade retaining the strike.
1st over: Australia 13-0 (Wade 12, Short 0) Wade gets the party started second ball, the acting skipper jumping on a powerful pull shot into the gap, running away for four. Chahar lands his yorker next but misses wide outside off after that. With fine leg inside the circle, Wade jumps across his stumps before the next delivery arrives putting himself into a great position to play a paddle over the man on the 45 and down to the rope for a second boundary. Clever. Make that three fours in the over, Wade now slapping on the up through cover. Super batting to begin.
Forget what I said... contrary to what the teamsheet said at the toss, it’s Wade and Short walking out together to open! So, a lot of volatility in the Australian camp before play, making for an interesting night. Of course, the Hurricanes pair do this job in the BBL and know each other well from that competition. They are now in the middle and ready to roll. Deepak Chahar to bowl the first over for India. PLAY!
Marcus Stoinis will open with Matt Wade. So, that means Short will be in at six, having walked out with Finch at the top of the list on Friday. The stand-in captain was very good the last time he played this role, in the final T20 in England. As for Stoinis, this is where he wants to bat, as he does so well in the BBL - simple as that.
A nugget on Kohli’s decision from the CricViz factory.
Virat Kohli elects to chase after winning the toss, and right so. In T20s since the start of 2017 at the SCG, the team chasing has won 68% games. Of the 54 venues to have hosted 20+ completed T20s in the timeline only Indore (81%) has seen a higher percentage in chases.#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/m0DYHyu3lW
Interesting to hear Justin Langer’s chat on Fox just then. He was quite open in saying that Smith was considered for the captaincy tonight. The Australian coach added that Aaron Finch was nearly right to play, but the safe decision was made.
Bad news from South Africa, they’ve cancelled the second ODI. Follow Tim de Lisle’s updates of a developing situation at Cape Town. Ali Martin is there for the paper with his ear to the ground. That’s two cancellations in three days.
Related: South Africa v England: first ODI - live!
For Australia, Daniel Sams and AJ Tye are both in. In addition to Mitch Starc, his new-ball partner Josh Hazlewood will also miss with a sore back.
Australia: D Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Matthew Wade (c & wk), Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye
Kohli says he likes the short boundary and the track. The Indian skipper also notes that Finch isn’t there, which gives his quicks an opportunity early in the game. Jadeja’s replacement is Chahal. Also, Mohammad Shami is rested and Manish Pandey has an elbow niggle. Shreyer Iyer and Shardul Thakur are the inclusions.
Matt Wade is leading Australia. He’s in the middle for the toss with Virat Kohli.
News from South Africa. Over on the other channel, we have another Covid scare, this time in the England team hotel. The first ODI was scrapped due to a positive test in the South African camp on Friday. The players have been tested once again, the ECB has advised, with the start now delayed. Follow that in another tab.
Related: South Africa v England: first ODI - live!
Daniel Sams will debut. The TV coverage has started, showing that the Thunder all-rounder has received his cap and is ready to turn out for his country. A good story from a journeyman character, the 95th Australian man to play a T20I.
Hello. It’s the fifth white-ball international in ten days between these nations with this, the second T20, a chance for India to take short-form series in straight sets at the SCG adter Kohli’s men got the job done in the nation’s capital on Friday.
The main news from the hosts is that Mitch Starc won’t be on the teamsheet tonight. We got word through from CA this morning that the left-arm sprearhead has formally left the bubble on compassionate grounds due to a family illness.
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