IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Cameron Green, Matthew Wade spoil Hardik Pandya’s party

Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch promised entertainment and aggression before the match. And the jampacked crowd at IS Bindra PCA Stadium was provided both as Australia overhauled a score of 208 with four balls to spare to beat India four wickets in the first of three T20Is.
Matthew Wade, who played a vital role in his team’s T20 World Cup semi-final win over Pakan in Dubai last year, showed why he is so valuable for his team in the game’s shortest format.
With 64 needed in 35 balls, Australia were second favourites in the match, but the 62-run stand for the sixth wicket between Wade and debutant Tim David turned the tide in favour of the visitors. Wade remained unbeaten on 45 off 21 balls.

Things went right down to the wire but it’s Australia who won the first #INDvAUS T20I.#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second T20I.
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/ZYG17eC71l pic.twitter.com/PvxtKxhpav
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2022
Earlier, Australia captain Aaron Finch pulled a rabbit out of his hat promoting all-rounder Cameron Green, who had never opened in senior cricket before, to the top of the order as his partner. Green, playing only his second T20I, smoked a 30-ball 61, which was studded with eight fours and four sixes. He did get a reprieve on 42, when Axar Patel put down a simple catch, but the youngster put the Aussies on the path to chasing down the formidable target.
The 70-run stand for the second wicket between Green and Steve Smith kept Australia in the game. But once Axar – who had a great night with the ball – dismissed Green, Australia lost momentum before Wade took the baton and saw them over the finish line.
Belligerent Pandya
Dinesh Karthik was picked ahead of Rishabh Pant as a finisher, but Hardik Pandya stole the show for India with a blering knock. He completed a 25-ball fifty, only his second in T20Is, with a delightful late cut.
Pandya showed his full range of shots. He pulled, cut, drove, and played shots on both sides of the wicket and was at his destructive best. Green was pasted for 21 runs in the final over of the innings, the last three balls dispatched over the rope. Pandya remained unbeaten on 71 off just 30 deliveries, including seven fours and five sixes. He kept his foot on the pedal despite India losing wickets at the other end.
His turbocharged knock ensured India finished the innings at 208 for 6 in 20 overs.

Standing ovation from the team mates 👏
Standing ovation from the crowd 🙌
What a special knock that was from @hardikpandya7! 👍 👍
Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/ZYG17eC71l #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/eHeUGBHF3C
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2022
A day after shrugging off the strike rate debate, KL Rahul showed intent on a belter of a track in Mohali. He lost his senior partners (Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) at the other end, but shed the accumulator tag during his 32-ball fifty.
Rahul started tentatively after Josh Hazlewood beat him with a jaffa, but then upped the tempo. The Australian did help his cause bowling on his pads, and the Indian opener made the most of the gifts.
Hazlewood finally had Rahul as he holed out to Nathan Ellis at deep square. He lost his shape, failed to read the knuckle ball, and whipped it straight to the fielder.
Surya — all swag, no sweat
Suryakumar Yadav missed out on a well-deserved half-century, showing again why he will be one of India’s trump cards in the T20 World Cup.
He came down on the Australian bowlers like a ton of bricks in his 25-ball 46. India’s ‘Mr 360 degrees’ attacked from ball one and spared none. He started with a flowing cover drive off Pat Cummins, then followed it with a premeditated swat over fine leg for a six.

Surya lighting up the night SKY here in Mohali 👌👌
Follow the match 👉 https://t.co/ZYG17eC71l #TeamIndia | @surya_14kumar
Don’t miss the LIVE coverage of the #INDvAUS match on @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/vg8nyKfASS
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2022
If the nonchalant six over mid-wicket off Hazelwood was regal, he saved his best for leggie Adam Zampa, whom he smoked for back-to-back sixes, one over long-on and one over deep mid-wicket. But just when Yadav was starting to up the tempo, he departed attempting a cheeky shot.
Axar proves his worth
Axar stepping up for India must be a big relief for captain Rohit Sharma, who had admitted a couple of days back that Ravindra Jadeja’s injury is a big blow for India.
Axar was one of the stand-s, drafted in as a replacement, but proved his worth taking three wickets. He provided the breakthrough for India with the third ball of his spell cleaning up Finch for 22.

ICYMI – In the air & taken! 👍 👍@akshar2026 strikes as @imVkohli takes the catch! 👏 👏
Don’t miss the LIVE coverage of the #INDvAUS match on @StarSportsIndia #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/rOylH1guws
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2022
But the Indian pacers gave away 150 runs in the combined twelve overs they bowled.
At 34, with experience of over a decade, Umesh Yadav still looked like someone new to the circuit. He is quick, erratic, and a wicket-taker. If his inclusion to the Indian side was surprising after Mohammed Shami tested Covid positive, him getting picked ahead of Deepak Chahar, a stand for the T20 World Cup, raised more eyebrows.
Umesh, playing his first international T20 in three years, removed the dangerous-looking Smith (35) and Glenn Maxwell (1) in the span of three deliveries to swing the match in India’s favour. But it wasn’t enough.
Harshal Patel, making his comeback after injury, was taken to the cleaners the Australian batters. It was his 22-run 18th over that turned the match decisively the visitors’ way. Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked jaded with the pitch having nothing to offer. The experienced pacer conceded 52 runs in his four overs.
Brief Scores
India 208 for 6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 71 not out, Rahul 55, Suryakumar Yadav 46; Nathan Ellis 3/30) lost to Australia 211 for 6 in 19.2 overs (Green 61, Wade 45 not out, Steve Smith 35; Axar Patel 3/17) four wickets