All-round Axar, spinners give India lead

All-round Axar, Spinners Give India Lead

CHENNAI: On the Carrara pitch in Gold Coast, described as a sub-continental wicket by captain Suryakumar Yadav before the toss, India was invited to bat by Australia in the fourth match of the five-match T20I series on Thursday. The visitors, unchanged from the previous game, posted a total of 167 for 8.

Though the total seemed slightly below par at the midway point, it ultimately proved sufficient by the end of the match. The pitch, resembling conditions familiar to Indian players, favored the visiting spinners who controlled the game when Australia began their chase.

Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar collectively took six wickets.
India bowled Australia out for 119 in 18.2 overs.
India secured a convincing 48-run victory.
The win gave India an unassailable 2-1 lead in the series.

The final game of the series is set to take place in Brisbane on Saturday.

Key Moments of the Match

Axar Patel, introduced to bowl in the fifth over while Australia was scoring steadily, made an immediate impact by dismissing opener Matthew Short. When the umpire hesitated on the decision, Yadav successfully reviewed it, granting India their first breakthrough.

This wicket slowed Australia's momentum, limiting them to just 30 runs over the next four overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis attempted to accelerate the scoring by advancing down the pitch but was bowled out, losing his middle stump.

“With the pitch resembling an Indian one, the visiting spinners called the shots when the hosts came out for chase.”

Axar and the spin trio’s performance proved decisive in sealing the game for India.

Author’s Summary

India’s spinners, led by Axar Patel, dominated on a sub-continental-like pitch, enabling India to take a commanding lead in the T20I series with a strong bowling performance.

The New Indian Express — 2025-11-07