Canberra, Dec 4: India produced an impressive comeback to beat Australia by 11 runs in the 1st T20I here on Friday to take a 1-0 series lead.
It was a T20I debut to remember for T Natarajan as his impressive 3/30, along with a sublime spell from Yuzvendra Chahal (3/25), powered India to victory in the first T20I.
Chasing 162, Australia openers Aaron Finch and D’Arcy Short batted with grit from the start, milking 14 runs off the first over. Finch struggled against Washington Sundar in the next over, which included five dot balls, but he quickly settled and continued the run-fest with Short to post 53/0 in the Powerplay.
Both openers were dropped in the seventh over, with Manish Pandey dropping the Australia skipper on 33 before Virat Kohli put down what should have been a straightforward catch off Short the next ball.
What followed was a dramatic turn of events, as Finch’s luck ran out shortly after when Hardik Pandya took a screamer off the bowling of Chahal, who came in as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja after the all-rounder was hit on the helmet while batting towards the end of India’s innings.
