After a blip in Guwahati, the Indian team stormed back with a good 20-run win in the fourth T20I against Australia at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Friday, December 1 and took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. 175 wasn't a big total to defend looking at the surface, which seemed like a good batting deck, however, it played much slower and eventually, it proved to be enough with Axar Patel being the star with the ball for India taking three wickets, including the big one of Travis Head.
Axar might have been disappointed to not be a part of the side for T20Is against South Africa, however, on a wicket that was holding and spinning a bit, he made the Australians dance to his tunes and didn't give any loose balls. Head had helped Australia get off to a sensational start and despite Ravi Bishnoi dismissing Josh Philippe for not much, the left-hander continued his work before Axar got into his. He first foxed Head before cleaning up Aaron Hardie as Australia went from 40/0 to 52/3.
Ben McDermott and Tim David strung a partnership together of 35 and the moment it looked like it was time to launch for the Aussies, Axar struck again. David and Matt Short then did provide some fireworks but it got too much for them in the end. Whatever little hope they had, Deepak Chahar after an expensive start, compensated by dismissing both of them in consecutive overs to kill the game.
Earlier it was the 56-run stand between Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma that helped India get to a score in excess of 170, which looked improbable when India found themselves in a spot of bother at 63/3. Ruturaj Gaikwad played scratchily before Rinku and Jitesh delivered on the promise. Jitesh, in particular, was fearless and confident as he smashed sixes at will and from the outset was looking to take on the bowlers.
Rinku had to play the dual role on Friday after India lost three wickets early. He first laid the foundation to launch from in the end. He missed out on his maiden T20I fifty but with Jitesh, he made sure that India got to a defendable score.
Australian skipper Matthew Wade rued the batters' game against spin as the main reason for the loss while Axar Patel was adjudged the player of the match for his figures of 3/16. The final match of the series will be played on Sunday, December 3 in Bengaluru.
