India v/s Australia 2nd Twenty20 Match Commentary: India clinch series after 27-run victory

India have won the match by 27 runs and taken the series 2-0. They put up a very good total of 184. Australia looked to be in front when Aaron Finch was blasting Nehra and Co, but Shaun Marsh's wicket opened the floodgates - after 2 catches had been dropped in the same over. Australia never recovered from that.

After losing the ODI series 1-4, India have come back strongly to win both T20 games convincingly. 

Virat Kohli is the Man of the Match for 59 off 33 balls.

Over 20

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the final over.

Yorker, Wade hits down the ground for one, and now the target is mathematically impossible as well. 33 off 5.

OUT! Timber. Full and straight, Hastings tries a slog down the ground without too much conviction, gets a small inside edge, and hears the rattle. He walks off sullenly. Australia 152/7, last rites being done.

Ball 3: Wide ball.

Ball 3: Slower good length ball, Tye swings hard but misses.

FOUR. Full and Tye smashes the ball away to deep extra cover for four. The long off fielder gives chase but won't dive as the match is already under wraps.

Fast yorker outside off, Tye misses.

Last ball left, just 28 runs needed.

OUT! Nice and easy way to end, slower full ball, Tye swings the bat blindly, misses the straight ball and is bowled. 2 wickets to Bumrah in the end.

Australia 157/8 after 20 overs. India win by 27 runs.

 

 

Over 19

Nehra is back to bowl the safe over.

Low full toss and swung to wide long off for one. 39 off 11.

Ball 2: Single to cover.

Wade tries a cute sweep behind the wicket by walking across to off, but finds short fine leg.

58,787 people in attendance.

Pic 1: Indian bowlers in ODI Pic 2: Indian bowlers in T20 #IndvsAus pic.twitter.com/mNFitJtfv8

— Sunil Pathak (@IamSunilPathak) January 29, 2016

Ball 5: Flicked into the deep for one.

6 off the over, Australia 151/6. 34 needed off the last over.

Over 18

John Hastings in, and to face some Ashwin music.

Single off the second ball gets Wade on strike. He's made 6 off 8. 46 needed off 16.

SIX. Half tracker, Wade comes down the wicket and lifts Ashwin over the on side for six.

Wade gives room, Ashwin bowls flat and wide, Wade leaves, but because the ball is inside the line, its not wide.

Just 8 off the over, Australia 145/6 after 18.  40 needed off 12 balls. 

Over 17

Last 6 overs have fetched 31 runs and 4 wickets.

Jadeja in his last over.

Another appeal from Dhoni, another crazy single from Australia. Flicked to fine leg, Wade takes off, Faulkner is back for one, the throws knicks Dhoni's gloves and then onto the stumps, he appeals but its not out.

SIX. Rare half-tracker by Jadeja, Faulkner frees his arms and slogs the ball over the on side for six. 87 metres.

Yorker this time, Faulkner realises it late and gets an underage that goes right behind Dhoni for two.

OUT! Faulkner goes for a booming drive to a full ball, gets an under edge that Dhoni collects in a flash and flicks off the bails. Dhoni appeals alone, but Faulkner is out of his crease! Australia 137/6 after 17 overs.

48 needed off 18, with Wade and the tail left.

Over 16

Aaron Finch is out, run out for 74, hamstring and all! How unfortunate! They went for a quick single, the throw from the deep was very sharp and Dhoni collected it off the ground to flick off the bails quickly. Finch was slow because of his hamstring pull and yet ALMOST got back. Australia in big trouble now, 124/5.

Australia now need 59 off 25. Faulkner continues to misread Ashwin.

Indian fielders are going for ball like ants go fr sweets #IndvsAus

— Sipun Siphonix (@755e147f614e422) January 29, 2016

Just 2 off the over and a wicket, Australia 126/5 after 16 overs. 

Over 15

Brilliant fielding from Yadav! Watson wanted to clear deep square leg, but didn't get the distance and the ball drops just in front of an onrushing Yadav who stopped it with his hip while diving forward. The ball turns after bouncing and for a bit Yadav loses it. He looks around, finally sees the ball traveling towards the fence, jumps over it and pushes it back just before it touches the fence!

OUT! Brilliant caught and bowled by Jadeja. Full ball on middle and off, Watson tries to smash it over Jadeja's head for four, but Jadeja gets his hands to it over his head and holds on to a terrific catch. Incredible reflexes. Australia 121/4.

Watson was shocked Jadeja caught that. And the umpire was scared for his life.

5 off the over, Australia 124/4. 61 needed off 30 balls.

 

Over 14

Yuvraj continues and bowls a dot balls first up.

Ball 3: Ashwin puts in a great dive to stop the single at point.

Ball 6: Brilliant work from Jadeja in the deep fails to prevent the second. Australia 119/3 after 14 overs.

Over 12

Yuvraj Singh has come in to bowl and the crowd roars.

Yorker off the second ball, the crowd loves it, no run.

OUT! Stumped! Maxwell is stumped and the Yuvi fans have lost it. He shimmied down the pitch for the big one, missed the quick wider one and the bails were knocked off by Dhoni in a flash.

Shane Watson comes in.

That Yuvraj and Dhoni effort gives me so much happiness. #indvsaus #t20 #kfc #cricket #bleedblue #teamindia #meninblue

— Rahul (@RahulNuthakki) January 29, 2016

3 off the over and a wicket, Australia 102/3 after 12.

 

 

Over 11

Pandya BARELY caught the Marsh one. Would have been a nightmare dropping 3 catches in one over.

Pandya is into the attack now.

Ball 3: Finch dabs to off and sets off, Ravi Jadeja collects and puts in a rapid throw. Finch had given up, but Jadeja missed the stumps again.

OUT! Dhoni makes no mistake. Chris Lynn has thrown away his wicket. Short and came on quicker than Lynn expected, he tries to hit down the ground, gets a top edge that takes forever to come down behind Dhoni. Dhoni has to run backwards with pads on but he is ever focused on the red cherry and nicely takes it. Australia 99/2.

Pandya recovered that 19 runs over from the first match #indVSaus

— Parag (@iParagDesai) January 29, 2016

Slower ball, Finch misses, Australia 99/2.

Over 10

Dropped. Finch tries to flick Ashwin for six over long leg, Rishi Dhawan the substitute is there, he comes rushing out and dives but cannot hold on.

DROPPED. That was a very easy catch! Finch tried to clear the midwicket fence, but could not get the elevation and hit straight at Shikhar Dhawan in the deep. Dhawan though dropped a sitter.

It was not just a catch Dhawan just dropped the whole series. #IndvsAus

— Fakalogy (@Fakalogic) January 29, 2016

OUT! Marsh is gone, he tried to hit over Hardik Pandya at long on but holed out. Poor shot from Marsh, he had anchored the innings at the other end.

Australia 94/1. 

Single off the last ball, Australia 95/1 after 10 overs.

Over 9

SIX. Short, sits up for Finch to pull. Yadav is right on the fence, he jumps high to catch it, cannot hold and goes down just over the fence. The ball falls on him quite tragically and trickles away.

11 off the over again, Australia 89/0.

Over 8

SIX! R Ashwin is introduced into the attack, and Finch responds by tonking him way over wide long of for six. 53 off 27 balls.

Marsh slogs Ashwin into the deep for one.

Ball 4: Finch gives room, Ashwin follows him and Finch underedges it to short fine leg for one.

11 off the over, Australia 78/0 after 8 overs.

India were 77/0.

Over 7

Ravindra Jadeja is into the attack.

Ashish Nehra is playing in the team under Senior Citizen Scheme. #IndvsAus

— Sunil- The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) January 29, 2016

Ball 4: Marsh is completely decieved by Jadeja on the flipper, but Dhoni is unable to collect it cleanly. Could have been a stumping.

Australia 67/0 after 7 overs.

Over 5

Nehra raps Finch on the pads with a good length ball that comes in sharply after pitching, but Finch is hit outside leg.

FOUR. Boundary off the last ball, nice square cut beats the infield and wastes a decent over. Australia 48/0 after 5 overs.

Over 4

FOUR. Finch makes room, Bumrah bounces him, Finch has been beaten comprehensively, but the top edge goes fine for four.

Beaten! Bumrah brings the ball back in from a length and Marsh is struck on the hips as the ball trickles behind the wicket. They still get a single. 

Australia 38/0 after 4 overs.

Over 3

Nehra again.

Short and sits up, Marsh throws the kitchen sink at it, the ball flies over wide long on, the fielder puts in a desperate dive near the fence, pushes back the boundary hoarding but stops the boundary.

FOUR. Cut hard for four this time by Finch.

FOUR. Short again from Nehra, poor pace so it sits up outside off and pulled for four through wide mid on.

FOUR. Another boundary, Australia are on fire. 30/0 after 3 overs.

 

Over 2

FOUR. Short by Jasprit Bumrah, who's opened the bowling. Pulled for four to deep midwicket by Marsh.

Full and Marsh goes down the ground, a nice drive, but Kohli at mid off dives to stop it and restrict the Aussies to one.

Ball 5: FOUR, this time Kohli won't stop it. Full again, no good pace or swing and Finch unveils a straight drive for four.

Single off the last ball, Australia 14/0 after 2 overs.

Over 1

Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh begin.

Finch cuts to third man for one off the first ball.

Just 4 off the first over. Australia 4/0.

Over 20

FOUR. Kohli lifts Andrew Tye over the off side for four.

Now a couple down the ground.

Ball 3: Single to long off.

OUT! Half volley, Dhoni tries to go for maximum over long off, can't get the elevation or distance and holes out. India 181/3.

Ball 5: Kohli hits hard into the on side and Raina goes for a suicidal couple. But the bowler can't collect the throw else Raina was gone.

Full again, Kohli tries to hit over long on, no elevation and India only get one.

India finish on 184/3 after 20 overs. This is the highest T20 score at the MCG.

Over 19

FOUR. Half volley on off, MS Dhoni has hit that back in rage, full swing of the arms and the ball has flown down the ground for four. Shades of the old.

Now Dhoni swings to deep midwicket for one. 13 off 7.

Short and wide but Dhoni can only get one to the off side. 7 off the over only so far.

Slower short ball, Kohli swivel pulls it to long leg for one.

India 174/2 after 19 overs.

Over 18

Half volley, Kohli slogs the ball to extra cover and gets two. Very good running.

Ball 3: FOUR, Kohli advances and plays the full ball over point for four. He did well to get under the ball and open the blade to play it over the infield.

Single off the 4th ball, 9 off the over so far.

FOUR. Full toss, waist high, and Dhoni has creamed that for four with a vicious pull to deep square leg.

Ball 6: Dhoni gets a half volley but only swings it down the ground for one. India 166/2 after 18 overs.

Over 17

Short and wide outside off, Dhoni cuts the ball over gully, didn't time it, the ball pitches just in front of third man for one.

Yuvraj has not had a bat in this series.

4 off the over off 4 balls.

FOUR. Kohli gives room, ball is very full, almost a yorker on off, Kohli cuts it with enough timing to find the vacant deep point fence.

Single off the last ball, 9 off the over. India 152/2.

 

Over 16

FOUR. Down the track, Virat converts the short ball into a full one and slams it over extra cover. Fielder comes running around but cannot get to it.

Single to long off for one.

Ball 4: Bouncer, Kohli plays it down and gets one. It was the slower bouncer and Kohli read it well.

Ball 5: Rohit pulls with no timing, one to long on.

OUT! Huge misunderstanding and Rohit Sharma is gone. Both batsmen found themselves at the same end and keeper Wade flicked off the bails with no batsman in sight.

India 143/2 after 16.

Over 15

Apologies for the technical glitches, we're back.

SIX! Kohli gives room, takes a length ball on off and dispatches it over long off for six.

Slower short ball, Kohli misses with the upper cut.

11 off the over so far.

Kohli hit 3 boundaries in the last over.

Driven through covers for one, India 134/1 after 15 overs.

Over 12

FOUR. Rohit Sharma gets his fifty with a boundary to third man. 52 off 38 balls.

Virat Kohli is the new man in.

Slower bouncer from Watson. Rohit tries a hook and misses.

Ball 6: Low full toss is slugged for one to long one, 7 off the over.

India 104/1 after 12 overs.

Over 11

SIX! Rohit Sharma hits Maxwell for six over wide long on to continue the carnage.

200 is on the cards if this goes on.

Rohit Sharma, Second T20, Andy Murray, Sania Mirza at the same time in Australia..Now my boss starts yelling "What taking me so long?"

— Rahul Singh (@rahulksingh291) January 29, 2016

OUT! Dhawan is gone, he tried a reverse sweep and could only lob the ball straight into the hands of short third man. Maxwell is elated. India 97/1 after 11 overs.

 

Over 8

Nathan Lyon comes into the attack. Three off the first two balls.

Ball 3: Chest high full toss, now a FREE HIT no ball under new rules.

Ball 3 (FREE HIT): SIX! Half volley under the bat, Rohit has a mighty swing, and the ball sails over the fence for six, into the crowd where a fan drops it.

One off the fourth ball.

Two off the fifth ball.

One off the last ball, India 77/0 after 8.

 

 

Over 7

Dhawan and Rohit have decided to be a little more cautious now.

Seems like @ImRo45 is ordering stuff during Happy Hours Miscues it in the air and picks up 2 for it Second T20 #AUSvIND

— Abhinav Shukla (@JustShukla) January 29, 2016

Not really!

FOUR. Dhawan rushes down the track, goes down the ground, gets a top edge that flies almost for six. Exactly where he wanted it too, just two runs less.

SIX. Wow. That is the modern day upper cut, invented by Tendulkar and perfected by so many. There was no width for Dhawan, but it was throat-high, and he arched back, timed the upper cut perfectly and gladly saw the first bounce land outside the fence.

12 off the over, India 62/0.

Over 6

Andrew Tye

Half volley on off, Sharma miscues it over midwicket for two.

Ball 5 is a slower ball, short, Sharma goes for the heave-ho pull, misses and the ball smashes into his chest, chest guard would have saved him.

Single down to mid on. India 50/0 after 6 overs.

Over 5

FOUR. Improvisation in the 5th over. Slower ball on middle, Rohit gets down and plays a Dilscoop over fine leg for four.

FOUR. Halff volley just outside off, Rohit hits clean down the ground, almost a six.

FOUR. Yorker outside off, and Rohit has cut it to deep third man for four.

Oh, a very quick and dangerous run to finish the over. India 44/0 after 5 overs.

Over 4

FOUR. This time Rohit gets width and length, he cuts the ball hard over cover point for four in a flash.

Full on middle, Rohit picks it up furiously but only a single to long leg.

FOUR. Dhawan comes down the track, plays the classic Dhawan cut through point for four, two fielders cannot stop it.

SIX. Outside off, good length, and Dhawan gets it right in the meat of the bat. Swings the ball well over long on for six, it went many rows back. That was as perfect a hit as you'll see.

Now he drives through the covers for two.

India 29/0 after 4 overs.

Over 3

Dhawan goes for the pull, ball hits him under the face and India get a 'leg bye'.

Rohit has a couple more swings and misses. He's 0 off 8 balls now. Not his day?

Finally Rohit gets a single to get off strike.

Dhawan wafts at a short ball and misses to end the over. India 12/0 after 3 overs.

Over 2

FOUR. On the pads from Hastings and Dhawan flicks it to fine leg for four.

Three dot balls after the boundary.

Dhawan moves around the crease to get a single off the last ball. India 10/0 after 2 overs.

Over 1

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are walking out to the middle.

Shane Watson takes the new ball.

Defended on the front foot by Rohit.

Wide outside off, Rohit has one hell of a go at it, but misses. Just escaped being called a wide.

Now a real wide and India are off the mark.

Rohit has another go at the ball outside off, drives without moving feet.

FOUR. On the hips, Rohit tucks it away for four. 4 leg byes.

Another drive and a miss. India 5/0 after 1 over.