India recorded their first ever bilateral series triumph on Australian soil as they clinched the Twenty20 rubber by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead with a comprehensive 27-run victory in the second match, riding on an all-round show here today.
Put in to bat, India relied on brilliant innings by Rohit Sharma (60) and Virat Kohli (59), along with a useful 42 by opener Shikhar Dhawan, to post a formidable 184/3.
Defending the target, the Indian bowlers put up a fine collective effort to rip through Australia's middle order and restrict the hosts to 157/8 in 20 overs.
The Indians thus took a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, which ends on Sunday in Sydney. This was India's first
ever
bilateral series win Down Under. The Indians had earlier won a tri-series in 2007-08 and the Benson and Hedges World Championship
in 1985.
The triumph is a remarkable turnaround for the Indians, who suffered a humiliating 1-4 debacle in the preceding ODI series.
In today's match as well, it was a turnaround of sorts by the bowlers, who withstood the early onslaught to make good recovery.
Chasing 185, Australia got off to a rollicking start as Shaun Marsh (23) paired up with skipper Aaron Finch (74 runs, 48 balls, 8 fours, 2 sixes) at the top.
India opened with Ashish Nehra (0-34) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-37), but instead of rotating the bowlers at the beginning like in Adelaide, the two were persisted with for the first six overs.
And they bled runs as the 50-mark came up for Australia in 31 balls. As soon as the power play got over though, Ravindra Jadeja (2-32) was brought into the attack and things started happening, though not in India's favour. Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed a regulation stumping of Marsh, while at the other end Finch completed his 6th T20I fifty off just 27 balls, bringing it up with a six off R Ashwin (1-27).
Thereafter, Finch survived thrice, enjoying dropped catches in two overs, one each by Umesh Yadav, Rishi Dhawan and Shikhar Dhawan, in the ninth and 10th overs respectively. The bowlers continued to suffer and the only bright spark was when Hardik Pandya finally caught Marsh at long on.
It was also perhaps the turning point. The all-rounder removed Chris Lynn (2) in the next over, caught behind. Yuvraj Singh (1-7) had Glenn Maxwell (1) stumped in the 12th over, Dhoni not missing this time.
(REOPENS FGN 19)
While the 100-mark came up for Australia, Shane Watson (15) looked like staying at the wicket and giving support to Finch, who continued hitting big as he was suffering from a hamstring problem.
The duo added 20 runs and were looking to calm things down. But Jadeja took a stunning reflex return catch off Watson in the 15th over.
And the match swung in India's favour finally when Finch was run out off a superb throw from Jadeja again at extra cover, finding the Australian skipper just short as Dhoni disturbed the bails.
It was an uphill task thereafter, with 61 runs still needed, and wickets continuing to fall at regular intervals. Jadeja was again in the mix, with James Faulkner (10) stumped in the 17th over, and the equation stood at an improbable 40 off the last 12 balls.
The 150-mark came up in the 19th over, but the hosts finished well short of the target once again.
Earlier, Sharma (60 runs, 47 balls, 5 fours, 2 sixes) and Kohli (59 not out, 33 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) struck quick-fire half-centuries as India eased to 184/3.
This was after Australia won the toss and elected to field first. The hosts made six changes to their line-up in a bid to test bench strength as also filling up for a few players who have already left to prepare for the New Zealand tour.
Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Lyon, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland and John Hastings came into the side in place of David Warner, Steve Smith, Cameron Boyce, Travis Head, Kane Richardson and Shaun Tait. India, on the other hand, went in with an unchanged line-up.
Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (42 runs, 32 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) got off to a slow start, with Shane Watson (0-17) and Andrew Tye (1-28) opening proceedings for Australia.
They made a lot of bowling changes initially in a bid to mix things up, and it worked for a little bit as only 12 runs came off the first three overs. But the two batsmen opened up thereafter, playing shots all over the park as the run-rate shot up.
Despite the slow start, they brought up the 50-mark in the sixth over, adding 50 runs in the next four overs. They continued to push on and India closed up on the 100-mark in the 11th over itself, when Dhawan was caught trying to reverse-sweep Glenn Maxwell (1-17).
The only time Rohit looked in some discomfort was in the build-up to his entertaining half-century when he survived some loud leg before appeals, while the ball beat his outside his edge more than once in a slow start.
But he easily made up for the sluggish start racing to 50 from 49 balls cutting Sodhi through backward point, two balls later he slogged sweep the ball over deep midwicket boundary.
He also had luck going on his way and was dropped on 66 by none other than Ross Taylor who had done a similar act against Kohli on 6 in Mohali before the Indian vice captain steered home a seven-wicket chase with his masterly 154 not out.
The only he could have been beaten was by his own. Having dived to complete his single off the third ball of the 17th over, Sharma looked in pain and was tended by the physio.
But he was not in his same and struggled to take runs before getting out to a mishit.
Earlier India were off to a slow start and the score read 17 after five overs with Sharma, under pressure to perform, starting out with caution.
Fresh from a half-century, Rahane looked comfortable and played his shots before a soft dismissal when he gave Latham a catching practice at short midwicket.
Not known to experiment, especially in a series-decider Dhoni made a bold change handing offspinner Jayant Yadav a debut in place of Hardik Pandya, as India made another change with a fit-again Jasprit Bumrah replacing Dhawal Kulkarni.
Eyeing their maiden bilateral ODI series win in India from five contests, New Zealand brought in Corey Anderson in place of Anton Devcich.
The weather remained bright and sunny, allaying fears of the rain and storm forecast due to cyclone Kyant.
