India defeated Australia by 48 runs in the fourth T20I at the Carrara Oval on Thursday, November 6. With the victory, the Men in Blue gained a 2-1 lead in the five-game series and cannot lose the trophy.
India performed well overall, although there were few notable performances. No batsman scored more than 50 runs, while none of the five frontline bowlers took three or more wickets. Nonetheless, there were a few standout performances.
On that topic, here are two Indian players who shone and one who underperformed in the fourth T20I against Australia.
3. Star – Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar did not need to do much most of the fourth T20I, but when it was time to do so, he did it. He started off at No. 7 and made two clean boundaries before his demise. He later with the ball turned the game in favour of India. He has demonstrated that he can deal with pressure at the critical times as he fired Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett in his very first over.
Sundar was shrewd bowling making a mixture of length and making the Australian batters err. Despite the loss of a catch off his bowling, he hit in the second ball that followed to eliminate Adam Zampa. His posthumous contribution made people remember how useful he could be as a multi-purpose guy, who could do something even in a few chances.
2. Flop – Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill might have been the highest scorer in India on paper, but he was lacking in intent and fluency of the innings. He also had difficulty in turning the strike and felt awkward against the Australian pacers, which added additional strain to the other batters. India did not have the early momentum that it could have during the powerplay overs, as he did it in a rather sluggish fashion.
Gill eventually dropped to a misplaced shot with Nathan Ellis after he scored 46 with 39 balls. Their figures were good, but he did not make any impression with his innings in the situation of the game. As the T20 world cup is on the offing, Gill must regain his ruthless instincts, and be freer at the top of the order.
1. Star – Axar Patel
The same reason why he is among the most valuable players in T20 cricket in India was proven by Axar Patel. Firstly, he contributed vital runs towards the end of India innings with a fast 21 in 11 balls balling, putting the team to a competitive position. He bowled a strict change with the ball, only letting go of 20 runs in his four overs but taking 2 of the more important wickets.
His sackings of Matthew Short and Joshua Inglis were devastating at areas when Australia was on the brink of victory in the pursuit. The composure and coolness under pressure played in the favour of Axar, as India won a close match by just 48 runs and an unmatched lead in the series.
