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| Mahendra Singh Dhoni shakes hand with Clint Mckay, after the victory, on Friday. Gautam Gambhir (middle) top-scored for India with an unbeaten 56. (AFP) |
Melbourne: There was a spring in the steps of the Indian brigade on Friday and that, finally, brought a smile on the faces of the players and the fans. An inspired show on the field helped the Mahendra Singh Dhonis to put an end to their embarrassing overseas winless streak as they won the second T20 International, against Australia, by a convincing eight wickets.
The two-match T20 series thus ended 1-1 and yes, India have avoided being whitewashed!
After restricting the hosts to 131 in 19.4 overs, riding on some brilliant fielding and disciplined bowling, the Indians overhauled the target with two balls to spare to record their first overseas win in close to seven months.
It was India’s first win in any ‘away’ international after 17 matches, since their last on June 23, 2011, when they had beaten the West Indies in the Kingston Test match.
Friday’s win snapped India’s winless run which started in England last year where they lost the four-match Test series 0-4, lost the only T20 International and the subsequent five-match ODI series 0-3. Then, in Australia, they slumped to another 0-4 humiliation in the Test series. Australia were the winners in the first T20 International as well.
Opener Gautam Gambhir (56 not out) led the Indian charge and along with Virender Sehwag (23), provided the best start of the Australian tour, putting on 43 runs from 6.3 overs for the first wicket.
Sehwag was brilliantly caught at short cover by Shaun Marsh off left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, but not before hitting a monstrous six off another left-arm tweaker Xavier Doherty.
But Gambhir was determined to see India through and made a patient 56 off 60 balls with four fours. India’s lone centurion in the Test series, Virat Kohli (31) gave him good company as India won without much trouble, reaching 135 for two in 19.4 overs.
Gambhir and Kohli put on 54 runs off 43 balls for the second wicket to seal the good work done earlier by the bowlers and fielders, who executed four run-outs during the Australian innings.
Gambhir reached his half-century in the 18th over, off a misfield which allowed him three runs. He faced 54 balls and hit three fours to notch up his fifty.
Skipper Dhoni (21 not out) strode in at No.4 and made sure India went past the finish line safely in front of a 62,276-strong crowd at the MCG.
Earlier, Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. But with Praveen Kumar striking two blows in his second over, the third of the innings, the Australians’ plans went for a toss .
For a change, all five frontline bowlers — Praveen Kumar (two for 21), Ranganath Vinay Kumar (two for 25), Ravindra Jadeja (one for 16), Rahul Sharma (two for 29) and Ravichandran Ashwin (one for 23) — bowled well.
Matthew Wade, who was the hero of the first T20, came in to bat at No.6, made 32, and was the third batsman to be run out. Aaron Finch (36 off 23 balls), who opened in place of Wade, made a strokeful knock before being run out at a critical time.
Jadeja was a livewire on the field and accounted for two wickets in quick succession.
Right-hander David Hussey was in the centre of both the run outs, one being the folly of his own misjudgement. Unable to get off the strike, Hussey cut leg-spinner Rahul to point and called his partner Finch for a run. The ball was still not past Jadeja and importantly was on the side of his throwing arm. Jadeja swooped on the ball and threw in accurately to ’keeper Dhoni who did the rest.
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