India dumps on Australia after final T20 series loss

Australian captain Matthew Wade was not happy after India finished off its series win that will only rub salt in their wounds.

India won seven of their ten matches against Australia this tour — but it is the Aussies that are walking away as world champions.

India on Monday morning finished off their T20 series victory with a six-run win in the fifth T20I in Bengaluru.

In many ways the 4-1 series result will only rub salt in the wounds of India after the World Cup final nightmare last month.

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Shreyas Iyer smashed 53 and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh kept calm in the tense final over to get the job done.

India posted 160-8 in the fifth match after Iyer propelled the total with his 37-ball knock despite losing regular wickets after the tourists elected to field first in Bengaluru.

Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar (3-32), leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2-29) and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (1-14) stood out as the hosts restricted Australia to 154-8.

Suryakumar Yadav captain of India and Matthew Wade captain of Australia after the game. Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images.

But it was left-arm quick Arshdeep who defended nine in the last over when he began with two dot balls and then the wicket of skipper Matthew Wade for 22 to dim Australia’s hopes.

The next three balls got the batting team just three runs as India celebrated victory.

Wade was not happy.

“I thought we bowled relatively well and kept them down to a total that should’ve been chased down,” he said.

“Pretty disappointing. My job is to get us home in situations like tonight.

“It would’ve been nice to get the result, but we learn and I thought Ben McDermott bounced back, (Jason) Behrendorff, (ben) Dwarshuis, (Tanveer) Sangha made an impact in tough conditions.”

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav said: “It was a good series from day one.

“We wanted to be fearless and enjoy ourselves when we were in the middle. So, very happy with that.” It was a second-string Indian team which gave some consolation to the fans who witnessed hosts India lose the ODI World Cup final to Australia on November 19 in Ahmedabad.

Matthew Wade watched it slip away. Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images.

Ben McDermott smashed 54 off 36 deliveries but the batting wobbled after his departure and Mukesh struck twice on two deliveries to dent the chase.

He took down Matthew Short, for 16, Ben Dwarshuis, on a duck, to be on a hat-trick averted by Nathan Ellis.

The left-handed Wade smashed four boundaries and looked set to get the team home but a rising delivery from Arshdeep at the start of the final over made him angry as he signalled to the umpires for a no-ball.

Wade protested and got out two balls later to take back his team’s hopes, still dejected and waving his bat.

Earlier India lost regular wickets but Iyer set up victory after he put on fighting partnerships of 42 with Jitesh Sharma, who made 24, and 46 with Axa, who hit back with 31 from 21 balls and was named man of the match.

Iyer, who returned in the previous match after resting following the team’s World Cup defeat, raised his fifty with a four and six before be was bowled by Nathan Ellis.

Both sides will feature in the T20 World Cup in June next year.

— with AFP

Originally published as India dumps on Australia after final T20 series loss