India condemned a weakened Australia to back-to-back defeats to take the Twenty20 series with a 27-run victory in front of a 58,787 crowd at the MCG in Melbourne.
Virat Kohli, who made his highest T20 score of 90 not out in his side’s 37-run victory in the opening game in Adelaide on Tuesday, followed up his heroics with a knock of 59 as India posted a competitive 184 for three.
India get the W at the 'G! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Zra0MRQTSR
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 29, 2016
Australia captain Aaron Finch, leading the side in the absence of a rested Steven Smith, then struck 74 despite pulling a hamstring but the home side were restricted to 157 for eight in reply.
India now lead 2-0 in the three-match series to send a powerful message ahead of the forthcoming World T20 on home soil.
Australia were without David Warner and Smith, both rested ahead of the tour of New Zealand, while Travis Head, Cameron Boyce, Shaun Tait and Kane Richardson were dropped and Scott Boland, Andrew Tye and Nathan Lyon were brought in for their T20 international debuts as the selectors experimented ahead of the World Cup.
.@imVkohli meeting the fans at the @MCG. Incredible reaction as he walked over! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/3aljuAE7ja
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) January 29, 2016After being put into bat, India’s openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma gave their side the perfect start, bringing up the 50 inside the first six overs.
Dhawan departed for 42, attempting a reverse sweep off Glenn Maxwell, but Sharma brought up India’s hundred and his own half-century with a deflected shot to third man in the 12th over.
Sharma was run out for 60 and Kohli struck an unbeaten 59, off just 33 deliveries, to help India post the highest T20 international score at the MCG.
Finch and Shaun Marsh got Australia off to an impressive start, putting on 94 for the first wicket before Marsh, who survived a stumping chance on 16, was caught at long-off for 23.
Finch made the most of two dropped catches to be his team’s top scorer but the turning point came with the dismissal of Shane Watson, who was the victim of a stunning catch off his own bowling by Ravindra Jadeja, who once again showed why is among the best fielders in the world.
