Batsman Moises Henriques hit 62 not out as Australia beat India by eight wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Guwahati on Tuesday. Chasing 119 for victory, the visitors depended on an unbeaten 109-run third-wicket stand between Henriques and Travis Head, who made 48, to achieve their target with 27 balls to spare.
But it was fast bowler Jason Behrendorff who made Australia level the three-match series at 1-1 after his four wickets helped bowl out India for 118. Behrendorff, playing his second match after making his debut in Ranchi last week, tore through the Indian top-order including the prized scalp of skipper Virat Kohli for nought.
The left-arm quick returned impressive figures of 4-21 in his four overs to reduce India, who were put into bat, to 27-4 at the Barsapara Stadium - hosting its first international game. Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 13, then tried to stem the rot during their 33-run partnership but leg-spinner Adam Zampa broke through the duo's defences.
Zampa got Dhoni stumped on a classic leg-spinner and then bowled Jadhav with the googly. Hardik Pandya hit a 23-ball 25 to make India cross the 100-run mark, which had seemed tough at 70-7, but the batsman's dismissal saw the innings fold on the last ball of the innings. Pacemen Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andre Tye and Marcus Stoinis took a wicket each. David Warner-led Australia, who lost their opening game, need a win to stay alive in the three-match series.
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Scoreboard India
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R. Sharma lbw b Behrendorff 8
S. Dhawan c Warner b Behrendorff 2
V. Kohli c & b Behrendorff 0
M. Pandey c Paine b Behrendorff 6
K. Jadhav b Zampa 27
M.S. Dhoni st Paine b Zampa 13
H. Pandya c Christian (sub) b Stoinis 25
B. Kumar c Henriques b Coulter-Nile 1
K. Yadav c Paine b Tye 16
J. Bumrah run out (Paine) 7
Y. Chahal not out 3
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Extras: (lb5, nb1, w4) 10
Total: (all out; 20 overs) 118
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Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Sharma), 2-8 (Kohli), 3-16 (Pandey), 4-27 (Dhawan), 5-60 (Dhoni), 6-67 (Jadhav), 7-70 (Kumar), 8-103 (Pandya), 9-115 (Bumrah), 10-118 (Yadav)
Bowling: Behrendorff 4-0-21-4, Coulter-Nile 4-0-23-1 (w2), Tye 4-0-30-1 (nb1), Zampa 4-0-19-2 (w1), Stoinis 4-0-20-1 (w1)
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Australia (target 119)
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A. Finch c Kohli b Kumar 8
D. Warner c Kohli b Bumrah 2
M. Henriques not out 62
T. Head not out 48
Extras: (w2) 2
Total: (2 wickets, 15.3 overs) 122
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