Nile shines in Australia’s last-ball win over India

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Australia’s Glenn Maxwell bats during the first Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Australia, in Visakhapatnam, India, on Feb 24. (AP)

Aussies win by three wickets in a low-scoring first Twenty20

MUMBAI, Feb 24, (RTRS): Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile took three wickets on his return to limited-overs cricket as Australia beat India by three wickets with the final delivery in a low-scoring first Twenty20 international at Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Needing 14 runs off the final over, bowled by paceman Umesh Yadav, Pat Cummins and Jhye Richardson each hit a boundary before they scampered to complete two runs off the last ball to reach their target of 127 in a nail-biting contest.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for India’s limited-overs trip to New Zealand, took 3-16, including two wickets in his final two deliveries in the penultimate over, but it proved inadequate.

 Coulter-Nile led a strong bowling display by the touring side with 3-26 in his four overs as Australia restricted India to a paltry 126-7 in the first of the two-match series after captain Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to field.

 Australia also got off to a shaky start and were reduced to 5-2 before Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short combined in a third-wicket stand of 84 to steady the chase.

Maxwell hit 56 off 43 balls, his innings studded with six fours and two sixes. Short, who opened the innings for Australia with Marcus Stoinis, was run out for 37.

After Maxwell’s dismissal, India fought back spectacularly to reduce Australia to 113-7 from 89-2 before the thrilling last-over finish.

With the 50-over World Cup coming up in three months’ time in England and Wales, India opted to give Lokesh Rahul an opportunity at the top of the order by resting regular opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan.

 Rahul, who was recently provisionally suspended for inappropriate comments on a TV chat show, did no harm to his chances with a 36-ball 50 and combined in a quickfire stand of 55 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, who made 24.

 Adam Zampa got the prized wicket of the Indian captain, who holed out to Coulter-Nile at long on trying to hit the leg-spinner for a six.

 Coulter-Nile played just one ODI in 2018, against South Africa, and missed out on selection for the home limited-overs series against India.

 He has the ideal opportunity to improve his chances of making the World Cup squad in the absence of the injured Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in India.

The 31-year-old dismissed Rahul and Dinesh Karthik in the same over and then added the wicket of Krunal Pandya as India were reduced to 100-6 in the 15th over.

Former captain and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni laboured to a 29 off 37 balls and failed to boost India’s score despite farming most of the strike in the closing stages of India’s innings.

 The second and final T20 will be played in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

India vs Australia Scoreboard

VISAKHAPATNAM, India, Feb 24, (RTRS): Scoreboard at close of play of 1st T20 between India and Australia on Sunday.

INDIA innings

Sharma c Adam b Jason Behrendorff…..5

Rahul c Finch b Nathan Coulter-Nile..50

Kohli c Nathan b Adam Zampa………24

R Pant………………………………….run out

J Behrendorff…………………………………3

MS Dhoni not out………………………….29

Karthik b Coulter-Nile………………………1

Pandya c Maxwell b N Coulter-Nile……1

Umesh Yadav lbw……………………….Pat

Cummins  ………………………………………2

Yuzvendra Chahal not out……………….0

Extras 0b 2lb 0nb 0pen 9w…………….11

Total (20.0 overs)…………………….126-7

Fall of Wickets : 1-14 Sharma, 2-69 Kohli, 3-80 Pant, 4-92 Rahul, 5-94 Karthik, 6-100 Pandya, 7-109 Yadav

Did Not Bat : Markande, Bumrah

Bowling: Jason Behrendorff 3-0-16-1 5.33; Jhye Richardson 4-0-31-0-7.75 -1w; Nathan Coulter-Nile 4-0-26-3-6.50 1w; Adam Zampa 3-0-22-1-7.33-2w; Pat Cummins 4-0-19-1-4.75-1w; D’Arcy Short 2-0-10-0-5.00

AUSTRALIA innings

D’Arcy Short run out Pandya………….37

Stoinis run out Umesh Yadav…………..1

Finch lbw Jasprit Bumrah………………..0

Maxwell c L Rahul b Y Chahal……….56

Handscomb c Dhoni b J Bumrah…….13

A Turner b K Pandya………………………0

N Coulter-Nile b J Bumrah………………4

Pat Cummins not out………………………7

Jhye Richardson not out………………….7

Extras 0b 0lb 0nb 0pen 2w………………2

Total (20.0 overs)…………………….127-7

Fall of Wickets: 1-5 Stoinis, 2-5 Finch, 3-89 Maxwell, 4-101 Short, 5-102 Turner, 6-113 Handscomb, 7-113 Coulter-Nile

Did Not Bat : Behrendorff, Zampa

Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-16-3-4.00; Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-28-1-7.00; Umesh Yadav 4-0-35-0-8.75-2w; Krunal Pandya 4-0-17-1-4.25; Mayank Markande 4-0-31-0-7.75

Australia win by 3 wickets

Umpire: Nitin Menon,Chettithody Shamsuddin

Video: Anil Chaudhary

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle

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