India beat Australia by 20 runs in the fourth T20I match in Raipur. This win ensured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, courtesy of Axar Patel’s exceptional three-wicket haul.
Australia began their chase of 175 runs with Travis Head and Josh Philippe opening the innings. Despite a solid 40-run partnership, Ravi Bishnoi’s breakthrough dismissed Philippe for eight runs, leaving Australia at 40-1. Axar Patel further dented Australia’s progress by removing Head at 31 runs, making it 44-2 for the visitors.
During the initial powerplay, Australia scored 52 runs but lost two wickets. Despite their efforts, the team struggled as Axar Patel and other Indian bowlers made crucial breakthroughs. Axar claimed his third wicket while Australia’s middle order faltered, reeling at 87-4.
Australia managed to cross the 100-run mark by the 14th over, but Indian bowlers, particularly Axar Patel and Deepak Chahar, continued to pick wickets at crucial junctures. Chahar and Avesh Khan added to their woes, grabbing important dismissals. Eventually, Australia concluded their innings at 154-6, falling short by 20 runs.
While chasing, India’s opening pair of Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a robust start with a solid 50-run partnership. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, with Aaron Hardie claiming the first breakthrough by dismissing Jaiswal for 37 runs.
Subsequently, the middle order faced some setbacks, with Shreyas Iyer departing early in his first T20I of the series, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, who scored just one run. Despite Gaikwad’s efforts, Australia’s bowlers continued to chip away at India’s lineup.
Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma resurrected India’s innings with a vital 66-run partnership. However, quick dismissals of Sharma and Axar Patel halted the momentum. Rinku Singh, who missed his half-century by four runs, fell to Jason Behrendorff’s bowling.
In the final over, Deepak Chahar attempted to add to the total, but he was also sent back to the pavilion quickly. The innings concluded with India scoring 174-9, thanks to contributions from various batsmen. Australia’s bowlers, particularly Dwarshuis, Sangha, and Behrendorff, claimed crucial wickets.
Axar Patel’s outstanding performance with the ball earned him the ‘Player of the Match’ title.
(Inputs from ANI)