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Adelaide: Virat Kohli scored unbeaten 90 off 55 balls and a 134-run partnership with Suresh Raina (41) to give India a 37-run win over Australia at at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.
The format change finally brought some cheers for Team India as their preparations for World Twenty20 got off to a perfect start.
Bowlers seemed to have found their mojo back as they helped India defend their total for the first time on this tour. Australia were bowled out for 151 in 19.3 overs in a massive chase of 189.
Debutant Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers finishing with the figures of 3/23 to steer India to 37-run victory in the first Twenty20 international of the three-match series at Adelaide Oval.
The second Twenty20 will be played at Melbourne on January 29.
In chasing 189, openers Aaron Finch and David Warner provided Australia a blistering start, collecting 34 runs in the first three overs. Skipper MS Dhoni's ploy of giving the new ball to R Ashwin backfired as the spinner yielded 17 runs on the back of Finch's four and a six. Warner also joined the party in the next over by hitting Ashish Nehra for boundary and a six.
Like Australia, India also made their first change in the fourth over when Burmrah, given the new ball in the fourth over in a hope to give a breakthrough. The right-arm pacer did not disappoint his captain and gave India a vital breakthrough by dismissing Warner for 17. Warner looked for the pull on a short ball and he dragged it from outside off and was caught at mid-on by Virat Kohli.
Pandya was brought in the 8th over of the innings and started off with three wides before skipper Finch stepped out and smacked over deep extra cover for maximum. Pandya gave 19 runs in his first over as he bowled 11-ball over with five wides in total.
Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin led the Indian fightback with their double strike in quick succession. The floodgates opened for India when Steven Smith got a massive leading edge off Jajeda to extra cover where Kohli grabbed it safely.
Ashwin struck to end Finch's exploits by trapping him in front. Finch was the highest scorer for Australia with his 33-ball 44 studded with four boundaries and couple of sixes.
The twin strike triggered the Australian collapse as they lost their last nine wickets in the span of 62 runs.
Earlier, Indian batting continued their dream run at Tour Down Under as Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina put on 134-run stand for the third wicket to propel the visitors to 188/3 in the first Twenty20 international.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 90, his highest in Twenty20, and bludgeoned two sixes and nine fours in his 55-ball blitzkrieg to help India post mammoth total on the board. Raina played a good knock and supported Kohli from the other end as he compiled 41 off 34 balls which included a six and three fours. India, after being asked to bat by Australia, handed Pandya and Bumrah a T20 debut and included veterans Yuvraj Singh and Nehra in the starting eleven.
Rohit Sharma started off in the same fashion and continued from where he left in the ODI series, smacking comeback man Shaun Tait for a boundary and six in the first over. Rohit used Tait's pace well and picked away off the pads for four through square leg before his top edged went for a six on the fourth delivery.
It seemed that four-year hiatus from the international cricket did not bring any change in Tait's bowling as he continued with his wayward line and length of which Rohit took the full advantage and punched it through point in his second over. Tait would definitely want to forget his return as he leaked 45 runs in his stipulated four overs with six wides.
After conceding 31 runs in the first three overs, Finch forced to make an early change, bringing in James Faulkner in the fourth over of the innings. The left-arm pacer created a chance for his team when Rohit's top edge was dropped by Cameron Boyce at short third man. Rohit did not bother at all as he smashed the very next delivery over deep mid wicket for another boundary.
Faulkner struck in the last over to end the partnership by dismissing Raina. Under-fire skipper MS Dhoni came out good and enthralled the crowd with a six on his first delivery followed by a four.
Brief scores
India - 3 for 188 (Kohli 90*, Raina 41)
Australia - 151 (Finch 44, Bumrah 3-23)
Result - India won by 37 runs
MOM - Virat Kohli (India)
