Carrara Oval – Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh said his side crumbled after a dramatic batting collapse, letting India win the fourth of a five‑match T20 series by 48 runs. The defeat gave India a 2‑1 series lead with only one game left against Australia in Brisbane.
Marsh, who had helped Australia to strong starts in previous matches, admitted that the Gold Coast pitch posed a challenge. “I expected about 167 to be par on that pitch,” he said. “The wickets offered a bit of trouble for the bat, so you need a couple of solid partnerships. We couldn’t build them. India are world‑class, especially in these conditions.”
India posted a modest 167‑for‑8 on a two‑paced surface that bounced unevenly. But the Indian bowlers dominated. Washington Sundar struck early, bagging 3‑for‑3. Axar Patel and Shivam Dube each took two wickets, and all six Indian bowlers claimed at least one dismissal. Australia, strong at 67‑for‑1, were all out for 119 in 18.2 overs, losing nine wickets for just 52 runs.
Australia’s early partnership between Marsh and Matthew Short included six boundaries. The game shifted when India bowled spin. Axar washed out Short via lbw, and then Dube’s slower ball took Marsh out for 35, opening the floodgates for India.
Marsh explained that Australia’s rotation policy often rotates players ahead of the World Cup. “In an ideal world you’d have your full‑strength side every match, but some of the guys need game time before the big tournament. That exposure under pressure is invaluable,” he said.
Middle‑order collapse followed Marsh’s dismissal. Tim David mishits a pull off Dube, Josh Philippe is caught by Arshdeep Singh, and Glenn Maxwell is out to a sharp googly from Varun Chakaravarthy. Sundar then took Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett, reaching his 50th T20I wicket. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Dwarshuis for his 99th T20I, and Sundar capped it by taking Adam Zampa.
The Indian bowlers showed superb adaptability on a tricky surface, turning the game decisively in their favor. For Marsh and his teammates, however, promising starts ended in a frustrating collapse.
Australia now heads to Brisbane for a must‑win match to finish the series on a high note, while India looks to close out the series 3‑1 with a strong all‑round performance.
Source: ianslive
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