Brisbane: A sloppy India failed to get an ideal start to the Australia tour, losing the rain-hit opening T20 International by four runs at the Gabba here Wednesday.
India first faltered in the field, letting Australia score 158 for four after rain shortened the contest to 17-over-a-side. Glenn Maxwell (46, 24b, 4×6) Chris Lynn (37, 20b, 1×4, 4×6) and Marcus Stoinis (33 n o, 19b, 3×4, 1×6) played wonderful knocks to help the hosts post a challenging total.
The 45 minute rain stoppage, when the hosts were 153/3 in 16.1 overs, meant India were set a revised target of 174 runs in 17 overs.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan (76) smashed a sublime half century in the run chase before Dinesh Karthik (30, 13b, 4×4, 1×6) came up with a pulsating knock towards the end but India still finished agonisingly short on 169 for seven.
It was a morale boosting win for Australia, who have endured a dismal run of late in limited overs cricket. The second match of the three-match series will be played in Melbourne, Friday.
Dhawan got India off to a quick start, putting on 35 for the opening stand with Rohit Sharma (7). Dhawan then put on 46 runs for the second wicket with KL Rahul (13).
Rahul however struggled for timing before being dismissed by Adam Zampa (2/22), with the leg-spinner also accounting for skipper Virat Kohli (4) who never really got going.
The asking rate was climbing up and it took a toll on Dhawan, who finally got out, leaving Rishabh Pant (20) and Karthik with a mountain to climb.
They nearly achieved the impossible, putting on 51 off a mere 24 balls, toying around with the Australian bowling, before the wicketkeeper-batsman got out. It left Karthik to finish off things, but he found the going tough without enough support from the other end.
With 13 needed off six balls, Krunal Pandya (2) and Karthik holed out off consecutive deliveries off Stoinis (2/27) to put an end to India’s hopes of a win.
Earlier, Lynn began the onslaught after a slow start by the Aussies. He forged 40 runs for the second wicket with his skipper Aaron Finch (27) before Kuldeep Yadav (2/22) dismissed both the batsmen in his successive overs.
It was then all Maxwell-Stoinis show as the duo took the Indian bowling apart as they took the hosts to 153/3 in 16.1 overs, when rain came, from 75/3 in 10.1 overs. After the disruption, Jasprit Bumrah (1/21) bowled cleverly, conceding only five runs.
Brief scores: Australia 158/4 in 17 overs (Glenn Maxwell 46, Chris Lynn 37, Marcus Stoinis 33 n o; Kuldeep Yadav 2/24) bt India 169/7 in 17 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 76, Dinesh Karthik 30; Adam Zampa 2/22) by 4 runs (D/L method).
