28 February,2019 08:14 AM IST | Bangalore | Satish Viswanathan
Australia's Glenn Maxwell on song against India during the 2nd T20I at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Pic/PTI
You expect T20Is to be big-scoring affairs and last night's game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was one such. But you also expect them to be thrillers, which in reality it wasn't, even if it again went down to the final over off which nine runs were required. But with marauder Glenn Maxwell still around to finish what he started, unlike in Vizag, the Australians won with two balls to spare.
The seven-wicket win in the second and final T20I here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium also helped inflict a rare series defeat at home on the hosts. Needing to score at 9.5 runs an over after KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni had all combined to power India to an imposing 190-4, Australian opener D'Arcy Short and Maxwell blazed away to set their side well on the way to a famous win. Short fell for 40 a little after he was let off by Rishab Pant. But a cool and calm Peter Handscomb joined the rampaging Maxwell (113 not out), who by now was even switch-hitting for six, to ensure there would be no last-over excitement this time around. The 100, his
third in T20Is, was as entertaining for its high quality shots as it was for his many audacious hits.
Earlier, if it was a typical Rahul (47), innings, punctuated with powerful cuts, impetuous hooks, elegantly lofted shots and the deadly use of the wrist to whip the white ball across and over the field, it wasn't that typical a knock from Kohli.
The Indian skipper for once was more about power than the normal grace. But where Kohli (72 not out) scored over his younger teammate was in staying till the end. For the packed stadium though, to be able to get to see not just their two local heroes, one a Karnataka lad and the other born into RCB, dominate the Australian bowlers so was a real treat.
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Add Dhoni's 23-ball 40 and his 100-run fourth wicket stand from a mere 50 balls with Kohli, that ended only in the final over, and the night was made for the fans. Or so they thought until Maxwell's brilliance happened.
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