NEW DELHI: India emerged victorious against Australia by 20 runs in the fourth T20I match after a thrilling encounter at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur. Axar Patel's stellar performance stole the spotlight as the spinner won the Man-of-the-Match award for his impactful display.
After the match, Axar shared his insights on the game. He emphasised the significance of adhering to strengths, stating, "I was trying a lot of things when I was at home, and it came out well today. I tried to stick to my strengths and wasn't really bothered even when I had gotten hit, and bowling stump-to-stump was the key to negate the dew factor."
The left-arm spinner highlighted the importance of an attacking mindset in T20Is, stating, "To stay attacking and be mentally strong is important as there is every chance to get hit in this format. When you go with an attitude to pick wickets, will feel much better."
Axar also spoke about his dedication to improvement during his injury break, mentioning, "During the (injury) break, I focused on improving myself and add new variations to my bowling to remain successful at the highest level."
1/10:Rinku, spinners help India clinch T20I series against Australia
AFP
2/10:Rinku Singh's quickfire 46
India posted a competitive 174/9 thanks to Rinku's 29-ball 46 blitz, despite late strikes by the Australian fast bowlers after the tourists elected to field first in Raipur.PTI
3/10:Axar Patel's apin attack
Axar returned figures of 3-16 with his left-arm spin as the hosts kept down Australia to 154/7 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.ANI
4/10:Suryakumar's captaincy debut
Suryakumar Yadav led the team to victory in his first series as captain, displaying excellent leadership skills.AP
5/10:Ravi Bishnoi's impactful bowling
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi struck on his first delivery as he bowled Josh Philippe, for eight, and finished with figures of 1-17.PTI
6/10:Australia's late strikes
Ben Dwarshuis took two wickets in the 19th over and Jason Behrendorff also struck twice in the next over to deny Rinku his fifty and check India's surge.PTI
7/10:Matthew Wade's resilient innings
Skipper Matthew Wade's valiant innings of 36 not out was not enough to save Australia from defeat.AFP
8/10:Key partnership for India
Rinku Singh's partnerships, including a crucial 56-run stand with Jitesh Sharma, played a vital role in India's total.AP
9/10:Australia's WC stars absent
Australia missed the presence of their ODI World Cup stars, including Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.AP
10/10:Final T20I in Bengaluru
The fifth and final T20I match between India and Australia will take place in Bengaluru on Sunday.APIn the match, India posted a competitive total of 174, thanks to a solid 56-run partnership between Rinku Singh (46* off 29 balls) and Jitesh Sharma (35 off 19 balls). In response, the Australian skipper, Matthew Wade, showed resilience with 36 not out from 23 balls but fell short of securing a win for his team.
Ben Dwarshuis led the Australian bowling attack, taking three wickets, while Behrendorff and Sangha contributed with two wickets each. Axar Patel's three-wicket haul and Deepak Chahar's two wickets played pivotal roles in India's successful defence.
The victory marked India's third win in the series, showcasing a commendable team effort.
(With inputs from ANI)
