India vs Australia 2nd T20I Highlights: Rohit Sharma leads IND to six-wicket win in 8-over hitathon
India vs Australia 2nd T20I highlights: Rohit Sharma batted in his own world while wickets fell around him. Matthew Wade's 43 off 20 balls led Australia to a score of 90/5 in a match that was reduced to an eight overs a side contest due to a two-hour delay caused by a wet outfield. Rohit responded by scoring an unbeaten 46 off 20 balls and leading the Indian chase with brief cameos from KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. Dinesh Karthik finished the match by hitting a six and a four off the first two balls of the last over, which were the only ones he faced in the entire match. The three-match series is now level 1-1. ...Read More
IND vs AUS Live: India beat Australia by 6 wickets
Four off the next ball, Karthik has hit a six and a four off the two balls he has faced in this match and taken India over the line. This Nagpur crowd had to wait for a long, long time to get to see this match but they have got a real treat today. Rohit Sharma batted in his own little world to smash nearly half of India's runs and Dinesh Karthik needed just two deliveries to make his mark. Jasprit Bumrah nailing those yorkers would be a good sight for the Indian fans as well considering the pacer is coming back from an injury break. The series is level at 1-1, and the third game in Hyderabad will decide the winner. It is a series between India and Australia after all, it cannot be decided in just two games.
India vs Australia live: SIX! KARTHIK IS IN THE HOUSE!
India need three to win off the last five balls now. He hoicks it over wide fine leg to start the last over in style.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: FOUR! Rohit ends the 7th over in style
Cummins tried to keep it out of Rohit's reach but ended up bowling the last ball wide. Sent it as wide outside off as possible again but Rohit cuts it stylishly for a boundary. He reaches 46 from just 20, India 82/4 in 7 overs, need 9 to win off the last over
2nd T20 live score: OUT! Time for Pandya to walk
Australia are back in this contest now. Slow from Cummins, Pandya tries to go big but ends up getting just height and no distance. Finch holds on.
Pandya c Finch b Cummins 9 (9), India 77/4, need 14 to win in 7 balls
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: FOUR! Shot from Pandya!
Almost a flat six over cover. Waits for the slow delivery to come to him from Cummins, stands still and smacks it over the infield. India need 15 to win off 10 balls.
IND vs AUS Live: FOUR AGAIN FROM ROHIT!
Back of a length and, obviously, Rohit brings out the pull. He keeps it down this time and reaches 40 in 17. India 67/3 in 5.4 overs.
India vs Australia live: FOUR! Lovely shot from Rohit
Rohit is batting in a world of his own. Goes inside out off Abbott and over cover for four. He has reached 36 in 16.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: GONE! SKY gone for a golden duck
Zampa is on a hat-trick! SKY asks Rohit if he should review it, his captain asks him to walk, that was plumb. One wonders if India should have sent in Rishabh Pant with Zampa playing instead of SKY or Kohli.
Suryakumar lbw b Zampa 0 (1), 55/3 in 4.3 overs need 36 runs to win in 21 balls
2nd T20 live score: OUT! That's that for Kohli!
Kohli had just hit a four down the ground off the first ball of the over. Tries to work it to midwicket but it skids through the gate to take the stumps. Kohli falls to Zampa for maybe the thousandth time in his career.
Kohli b Zampa 11 (6), India 55/2 in 4.2 overs, need 36 runs to win in 22 balls
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: FOUR! What a shot from Kohli!
He is not exactly a six-hitter but Kohli can be dangerous when he can play shots like these. Straight down the ground, no way anyone is fielding that. A single off the next ball and India are 51/1, need 41 to win in 24 balls.
IND vs AUS Live: FOUR! Rohit motors on
Rohit makes room and sends Sams fine. Delightful late cut that from the Indian captain, he is looking unstoppable today.
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: BOWLED HIM! The end for Rahul
Zampa knocks KL Rahul over and Australia have a breakthrough. Slow and tossed up but it drops on Rahul who tries to go big. He misses it completely and the ball hits the stumps. The customary big cheer in the ground after the brief hush because Virat Kohli is now walking in.
Rahul b Zampa 10 (6), India 39/1 in 2.5 overs, need 52 to win in 31 balls
IND vs AUS Live: SIX! Rohit over the offside!
The Indian captain is connecting all of it. Zampa has come in and so there is not real scope for a pull. He just lofts that over long on, then takes a single to reach 27 off 11.
India vs Australia live: SIX! Another from Rohit
Cummins makes the cardinal mistake of bowling short and quick to Rohit. He whips out his pull shot and sends the ball flying into the stands. Rohit has scored 19 in 8 balls!
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: SIX! 20 runs off the first over
What a start this is. Rahul whips the last ball over midwicket, almost a helicopter shot that. This is just the kind of start India would have wanted.
2nd T20 live score: BACK TO BACK SIXES FROM ROHIT!
Rohit launched the third ball of the first over bowled by Josh Hazlewood over midwicket. Then he brings out his trademark pull for a back of a length delivery and that goes flying over the boundary. The VCA stadium is absolutely heaving now.
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: No changes for India's top order?
Well this is quite a curious tactic. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are opening, which may not be much of a surprise but Virat Kohli has padded up and is sitting in the dugout with his helmet in hand. Surely India need to do what Australia did and bring out the big hitters before Kohli.
IND vs AUS Live: Australia 90/5 in 8 overs
India have been set a target of 91 to level this series. Make no mistake, this is a very, very steep target. Wade mistimed the last shot straight to the bowler. Smith was away already but Wade was late to react to the run and Harshal whipped the bails away at the other end. Wade looks mighty disappointed with himself, which is a wonder really considering he just smashed 43 in 20 balls and gave Australia a very good target to defend.
India vs Australia live: BACK TO BACK SIXES!
Two sixes off the fourth and fifth balls of the over takes Australia to 90 and Wade to 43 off 19. What an innings he has played and Australia could very well take the series today.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: SIX!
Harshal bowling the last over and Wade whips out a pull shot to send the offcutter over deep midwicket off the second delivery. Australia putting up a good total here.
2nd T20 live score: FOUR! Wade motors on
Full toss outside off from Bumrah, Wade opens the face of the bat and gets it between backward point and short third man. Australia 71/4 after 7 overs
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: Bumrah yorker sends Smith on the ground!
Another searing yorker, this time to Smith and he is down on the ground as he somehow manages to dig it out and then take a single. Bumrah causing some real pain here. Smith trying to get the dangerous Wade on strike as much as possible.
IND vs AUS Live: BOWLED HIM! Classic Bumrah!
The yorker from hell. Something we are so used to seeing from Bumrah and yet it thrills you and bamboozles the batter every time he produces it. Nothing you can do about it, Finch actually low key applauded it before starting the long walk back. Over the wicket, into the right hander and the ball hits the base of the leg stump.
Finch b Bumrah 31 (15), Australia 46/4 in 5 overs
India vs Australia live: Five dot balls in the 4th over!
A boundary in the end from Wade ends the run but what an over that is from Axar in this 8-over match. India on top at the moment but it just takes two back to back sixes to change the momentum in games like these really. Australia 35/3 in 4 overs
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: BOWLED HIM! Axar strikes again
You miss, I hit. Straight from Axar and he finds the stumps again, Tim David goes after scoring just 2 runs.
Tim David b Axar Patel 2 (3), 31/3 in 3.1 overs
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: SIX! Finch goes high
Chahal tosses it up and Finch hits through the line back over the bowler's head for a six. He has scored 21 off 10 balls now.
2nd T20 live score: OUT! Now Maxwell falls!
That's two big hitters back in the hut. This is a good start for India, Maxwell making too much room for himself and ends up losing his stumps.
Maxwell b Axar Patel 0 (1), Australia 19/2 in 2 overs
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: OUT! Green run out!
Excellent work there from Kohli and Axar.
Green run out (Kohli/Axar Patel) 5 (4), Australia 14/1 in 1.3 overs
IND vs AUS Live: FOUR! Green tees off
Green sends the first ball of the second over bowled by Axar high into the night sky, Kohli comes running in from long-on and puts in a dive at the boundary but it is just out of reach. The ball dribbles to the boundary.
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: Hardik Pandya bowls the first over
He starts out with an absolute peach that is almost a yorker and moves away slightly from Finch. Beats the outside edge.
IND vs AUS Live: The players walk out
This is going to be a very different kind of a match. Aaron Finch and Cameron Green are out in the middle for Australia, let's see who bowls the first over for India.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: What Aaron Finch said
“We would have bowled first as well. Chasing in a small gave would have been good. We're happy with the way we played and the execution. We have two changes: Ellis is injured and Sams comes in. Sean Abbott comes in for Inglis.”
India vs Australia live: What Rohit Sharma said
“We're going to field first. It's nice, there are so many people who have come to watch us. It is nice to get a game. These games are challenging ones because you don't know what to do. You just have to go out and express yourself. Hopefully we can put up a good show. Since it is an eight over game, we had to make two changes: Bumrah comes in for Umesh Yadav. Bhuvi misses out too and Pant comes in.”
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: Australia XI
Aaron Finch (C), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
2nd T20 live score: India XI
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant(w), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: TOSS ALERT
Rohit Sharma wins the toss, India to field first. He says that Jasprit Bumrah returns alongwith Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is out.
IND vs AUS Live: Australia full squad
Aaron Finch(c), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Daniel Sams
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: India full squad
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik(w), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Deepak Hooda
IND vs AUS Live: Team India huddle
The players are out and in a huddle as Rohit Sharma speaks to them. We have had to wait for about two hours but we are now starting to see the familiar scenes of pre-match routines.
India vs Australia live: The new playing conditions
An innings will be eight overs long, the powerplay will last just 2 overs. No in game penalties for slow over rate.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: Match to start at 9.30pm!!
Well then, Nagpur is about to see a hitathon. The Indian players were seen smiling and laughing before the umpires spoke with the skippers, they may have wind of this happening already. Each team gets eight overs to bat, toss will take place at 9.15pm and the match starts 15 minutes later.
2nd T20 live score: Umpires have a word with the captains
The umpires first spoke with the groundsmen, who then proceeded to quickly sprinkle some more sawdust on the wet parts. They then carry off the sacks of sawdust. The umpires, meanwhile went up to the area between the two dressing rooms where Finch and Rohit were waiting. They have another short conversation with them before handing them a piece of paper. Curious indeed.
India vs Australia 2nd T20I Live: Huge roar goes up in the stadium…
…because the umpires have walked out to take a look. Nothing more dramatic than that. It has to be mentioned that the umpire's conversation with the two captains lasted less than a minute during the second inspection.
IND vs AUS Live: The wait continues
The players have gone back to their dressing rooms. We are minutes away from hearing form the umpires again.
India vs Australia live: Another inspection at 8.45pm, cut-off time is 9.46pm
If the first ball is not bowled by 9.46pm there will no match in Nagpur, despite the ground receiving little to no rain all day. The fans will be quite unhappy to say the least. This has not been a good series for India's reputation as international cricket hosts, the first the fracas in Hyderabad due to ticket sales and now this.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: The umpires speak
The umpires telling the broadcasters that the wide mid-on area is moving underneath all the sawdust that has been put there.
India vs Australia live: Umpires inspect the ground
It seems the area they are most concerned about is just just wide of mid-on where water from rain over the past few days had pooled. The areas for the bowlers' run up is also of concern. Let's see what the officials say now.
IND vs AUS Live: Efforts continue to dry the ground
Sawdust being sprinkled everywhere and rollers trying to flatten it out. There was rains for the last two days but it really hasn't rained at all today near the VCA stadium. Drainage systems are pretty much non-existent.
India vs Australia live: The Kohlicam
Well the cameras are on Virat Kohli, as it often is. He had some light hearted conversations with Glenn Maxwell and a couple of other Australian players and spoke with Ravi Shastri and Robin Uthappa, both of whom are part of the commentary panel, before joining his teammates on the ground in the warm-up.
IND vs AUS 2nd T20I Live: Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah is among the bowlers who are out there, which should be a confirmation of him playing today. However, it has to be noted that so is almost every other bowling option India have got including Ravichandran Ashwin.