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India’s spinners trapped Australia in a web of despair to secure a 48-run win in the T20 international on the Gold Coast to take a 2-1 series lead.
India made 8-167 after being asked to bat on Thursday and Australia were tracking nicely at 1-67, but spinners Axar Patel (2-20) and Varun Chakravarthy (1-26) sent the required run rate skyrocketing as the pressure built on the hosts.
Australia lost their last nine wickets for 52 to be bowled out for 119 in 18.2 overs. The series moves to the Gabba on Saturday for the fifth and final match that Australia must win to square the ledger.
Man of the match Patel probed with his deadly accurate left-arm offspinners that he sent down like darts.
“In these conditions bowling wicket to wicket was the most important thing,” Patel said.
Australia captain Mitch Marsh (30) and his opening partner Matt Short (25) played cameos at the top of the order to set up the run chase.
“I thought walking off the ground that 167 was par on that wicket. India provided us with challenges with the bat,” Marsh said.
“Fair play to India. They are a world-class team.”
With 91 runs needed from the last 10 overs, it was set up for Tim David to launch a typical assault, but he fell to a short ball by Shivam Dube, who had earlier picked up Marsh.
Australia received a boost for the clash with superstar finisher Glenn Maxwell returning from a wrist injury, but it was not his night. Chakravarthy cleaned him up for just two.
Maxwell had not played since mid-September after he injured a wrist in the lead-up to last month’s T20 series against New Zealand.
When Washington Sundar (3-3) took two wickets in two deliveries with his offspin, including Marcus Stoinis, the match was India’s.
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Earlier, Australia fought back to restrict India to 8-167 after the visitors appeared to be on track for a huge total.
Seamer Nathan Ellis (3-21) and legspinner Adam Zampa (3-45) struck key blows after India were 2-121 and cruising at the end of 14 overs.
India opener Shubman Gill (46 off 39 deliveries) top-scored for the tourists.
Flamboyant opener Abhishek Sharma was dropped from the second ball of the innings at deep point by Xavier Bartlett off the luckless Ben Dwarshuis.
Sharma, ranked the world’s No 1 T20 player by the ICC, made 28 in an opening stand of 56 with Gill.
Stoinis got one to lift nastily to take Sharma on the thumb, shoulder and helmet grill. The India star was given the all-clear to continue, then walloped the next delivery to the boundary.
He launched Zampa for six, before holing out to the same bowler at long-on.
