India’s spin bowlers delivered a remarkable performance, claiming six wickets to secure a 48-run victory over Australia in the fourth T20I on the Gold Coast. With this win, India takes a 2-1 lead in the series heading into the fifth and final match in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Indian bowlers restricted Australia to just 119 runs while chasing a target of 167. Notably, Washington Sundar made a significant impact in his first appearance of the series, claiming 3 wickets for just 3 runs in 1.2 overs. Axar Patel also contributed effectively, taking 2 wickets for 20 runs as Australia lost their last nine batsmen for a mere 52 runs.
Australia’s bowling attack, led by Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis, had earlier limited India’s score. Each took three wickets, leaving the Indian total seemingly inadequate after Australia’s captain, Mitchell Marsh, opted to field following the toss. Despite initially scoring 60 runs with only one loss, Australia faltered significantly in the middle overs, falling to 103 for six.
The recalled Glenn Maxwell struggled to make an impact, dismissed for just two runs after being bowled by Varun Chakravarthy. Patel’s all-round performance earned him the man-of-the-match award, as he also scored an unbeaten 21 runs, helping India exceed 160.
Shubman Gill was the standout performer with the bat, scoring 46 runs and building vital partnerships with Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube, who contributed 28 and 22 runs, respectively. Following the match, captain Suryakumar Yadav emphasized the importance of the batting strategy, noting that his team was aware that the pitch did not favor a high-scoring game.
The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, leaving Australia hopeful to level the series at 2-2 in the upcoming fixture. Marsh acknowledged that while he believed 167 was a competitive target, the team ultimately failed to execute during the chase. He credited India for their performance, recognizing their quality as a world-class team.