Shami sizzles in final over as India edges out Oz

BRISBANE: Pacer Mohammed Shami (3/4) put the concerns over his fitness to rest with a sensational 20th over as India pulled off a six-run win over Australia in its first ‘official’ warm-up fixture of the T20 World Cup here on Monday.

Opener KL Rahul (57 off 33 balls, 6 fours, 3 sixes) and No.4 Suryakumar Yadav (50 off 33, 6 fours, 1 six) powered India to 186 for seven after Australia opted to bowl first at the Gabba. Needing 16 runs off the last 12 balls with six wickets in hand, Australia was on course for a comfortable victory before Shami, Harshal Patel (1/30) and Virat Kohli, the fielder, scripted a turnaround for India. Australia was bowled out for 180.

Shami, who last played a competitive match in July and landed here after suffering a long bout of COVID-19, turned up to bowl the last over of the game and made a decisive impact. He landed yorker after yorker and ended up with three wickets in the over besides a run out. Shami was drafted into the squad as a replacement for the injured Jasprit Bumrah.

In the penultimate over, Harshal delivered as he conceded only five runs while Kohli came up with a brilliant direct hit to effect a run-out. Kohli also plucked a stunning one-handed catch out of thin air at long-on to dismiss Pat Cummins in the last over. Earlier in the chase, Aaron Finch (76 off 54 balls, 7 fours, 3 sixes) played a captain’s knock while his opening partner Mitchell Marsh struck a quick-fire 35 (18 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes).

In the first essay, the India batters enjoyed the pace and bounce of the pitch, especially Rahul, who scored the bulk of the runs in the powerplay. Skipper Rohit Sharma (15 off 14 balls) was a mere spectator at the other end as Rahul produced many a classy hit. During the 78-run stand, Rohit hardly got to bat and could open his account only in the fifth over.

Barring Hardik Pandya (2), who was outdone by a slower ball from Kane Richardson (4/30), all the India batters got to spend some valuable time in the middle.