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A blistering 72 from new wicketkeeper batsman Matthew Wade, and some inspired bowling by the Australian spinners helped the hosts cruise to a facile 31 run win in the 1st T20 of the series at Sydney on Wednesday night. India got a lot of decisions wrong today - starting with their team selection, failing to read the pitch and choosing poorly at the toss - and that didn't help their cause one bit. After being invited to make first use of a poor quality wicket, Australia posted a strong 171/4 in their 20 overs. A late fightback from the Indians prevented the Aussies from getting a lot more after their top order had made the most of the best batting conditions on offer. India started well in their chase, but lost three crucial wickets in the middle overs, two to part-timer David Hussey to push them behind the required run-rate. And from there on some poor shot selection on a pitch with virtually no bounce left them too much to do late on in their innings. A battling unbeaten 48 from skipper MS Dhoni was the only real highlight of the Indian innings. 

The jerseys might have changed, but the intent of the Aussies to completely demoralize India hadn’t. While at the other end, India was seeking a small opportunity to get back to winning ways as the first international T20 of the Australian summer got underway at a brand new cricket venue, Sydney's Olympic Park. With a splattering of rain and a newly laid track, it was slightly surprising to see Indian skipper MS Dhoni opt to bowl first on winning the toss.

His opposing skipper and once upon a time Chennai Super Kings teammate, George Bailey, was the first Australian since 1877 to lead the side on debut. The Australian plauing eleven was very much a mix of the who's who of the recently concluded Big Bash League with veterans Brad Hogg and Brett Lee adding a tinge of experience to an otherwise youthful line-up. Both teams went in with two specialist spinners with India also handing a debut to tall leggie Rahul Sharma. There was no room for allrounder Irfan Pathan though as India stuck with two medium pacers in Praveen and Vinay Kumar.

Unsurprisingly, Dhoni started the innings with Ravichandaran Ashwin as he has done many a times and it was clear that the openers Matthew Wade and David Warner, both southpaws, were a bit cautious. With Praveen Kumar bowling the second over, Australia was 9/0 at the end of 2 overs. Warner got back to his big hitting ways in the third over of the innings when he smashed Ashwin for two sixes and a four, with one of the sixes being a switch hit. There was a failed run out appeal from India to wrap Ashwin’s 17 run over. The Aussies were racing along in the powerplay, but lost David Warner for 25 (14b) against the run of play on the penultimate ball of the fourth over. Suresh Raina took a well judged catch off Vinay Kumar. Australia ended the first power play at 55/1 with Travis Birt (7*) and Matthew Wade (22*) at the crease.

Suresh Raina bowled the first over after the powerplay going just for three runs. Ashwin’s return in the eighth over of the innings was acknowledged with a six off his first ball from Matthew Wade. The offie came back well restricting the scoring of runs in the remainder of the over. Legspinner Rahul Sharma came on for his first over in the ninth over of the Australian innings and was unlucky to see an outside edge from Birt go to the boundary. A tough caught and bowled chance was missed by Sharma later in the over, and he had to leave the field due to a split webbing.

Ashwin finally had some luck going his way when he got Travis Birt (17) off a full toss hit straight to cover on the last ball of his spell which was also the final ball of the 10^th over. Australia were well placed at 79/2 from 10 overs and looked good for a score in excess of 180.

Rahul Sharma came back after getting some treatment on his hand to bowl an excellent twelfth over to David Hussey with a close lbw appeal going against the bowler in addition to MS Dhoni missing a stumping. Meanwhile Matthew Wade meant business at the other end when he brought his fifty up off a six of Ravindra Jadeja in 34 balls. Ravindra Jadeja’s over went for 17.

India’s poor luck continued with David Hussey inside edging Praveen’s delivery for four in the 14th over. The over went for 18 and Australia made their way to 131/2 in 14.4 overs before rain delayed proceedings briefly.

Play resumed after a 25 minute rain delay with no overs lost in the game and a possible advantage to India with the set batsmen getting an untimely break. This prospected advantage turned into a reality when Raina bowled Wade for an excellent 72 off 43 balls in the 16^th over. Wade’s departure led to the skipper George Bailey’s first stint with the bat for his country. The break in momentum due to Wade’s wicket was followed by some disciplined bowling from India. Hussey chipped in with a more than useful 42 before falling in the last over of the innings, bowled by Rahul Sharma. Australia finally ended their innings at 171/4 with George Bailey unbeaten on 12 and Mitchell Marsh unable to get on the scoreboard.

The Indian openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, owed their team a good start, but it was not to be be as the returning Brett Lee dismissed Sehwag (4) with an outswinging delivery, which the latter to tried flick away leading to a dolly of a catch to David Hussey at first slip. Despite the wicket, Brett Lee was taken for 22 runs in his first two overs, including a six back over his head from Virat Kohli. Kohli and Gambhir set India on their way with some excellent running between the wickets and looked on course for a confident chase as the visitors posted 46 runs in the first 5 overs.

However, the game turned dramatically in the three overs that followed as Gambhir (20), Kohli (22) and Rohit Sharma (0) fell in consecutive overs as India slipped to 53/4 in the 8th over. Gambhir and Sharma fell to flat quick deliveries from David Hussey, while Kohli was caught in the deep off 40-year old Brad Hogg.

With the mature heads of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina at the crease, India trudged along to 66 in 10 overs, leaving them with another 106 runs to win from the last 10. The pressure got the better of Suresh Raina, who was bowled by Dan Christian for 14 trying to hit his way out of trouble. The medium pacer added a second wicket to his kitty by removing Ravindra Jadeja for 7 in the 14th over to all but end India's challenge in this match.

With the wicket beginning to deteriorate rather rapidly, India had their work cut out for them, but raised hopes of a a late revival by taking 15 runs from the 16th over. The charge that was needed from thereon though never really came leaving India with 48 runs to get from the last 2 overs. MS Dhoni and R Ashwin did their best to throw their bats around (one of them quite literally), but fell 32 runs of the target as Australia sealed a comfortable win to start the limited overs leg of the tour.

India does have an opportunity at some quick revenge when the teams do battle again on Friday in the second T20 at Melbourne.

Teams:

Australia: DA Warner, MS Wade (wk), TR Birt, DJ Hussey, GJ Bailey (c), MR Marsh, DT Christian, JP Faulkner, GB Hogg, B Lee, XJ Doherty

India: G Gambhir, V Sehwag, V Kohli, RG Sharma, SK Raina, MS Dhoni(c & wk), RA Jadeja, R Sharma, R Ashwin, R Vinay Kumar, P Kumar

Mini Scorecard:

Australia 171/4 (20 overs, 8.55rpo)
M Wade 72 (43) S Raina 1-22
D Hussey 42 (30) R Sharma 1-27

India 140/6 (20 overs, 7.00rpo)
MS Dhoni 48 (43) D Hussey 2-4
V Kohli 22 (21) D Christian 2-35

Australia win by 31 runs

File Photograph Copyright: ICC World T20