Maxwell helps Australia edge India in first T20

VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Glenn Maxwell hit a crucial half-century as Australia edged out India by three wickets in a thrilling last-ball finish at the first Twenty20 International on Sunday.

Pat Cummins hit a four and took two runs to complete a nervous 127-run chase after his fellow paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile restricted India to 126-7 in Visakhapatnam.Maxwell, who made 56, put together 84 runs with D’Arcy Short for the third wicket to put Australia on course before Jasprit Bumrah hit back with three wickets.

Bumrah got debutant Peter Handscomb caught behind for 13 and then bowled Coulter-Nile on the final ball of the 19th over to keep the game in balance.Jhye Richardson and Cummins — both not out on seven each — then kept their cool in the final six balls against Umesh Yadav to steer the Aussies home.

But the day belonged to Coulter-Nile who returned figures of 3-26 in his four overs, receiving the man of the match award.K L Rahul hit 50 off 36 balls. His 55-run second-wicket stand with skipper Virat Kohli, who made 24, gave India a brisk start but the hosts lost momentum after losing three quick wickets.

Australia won toss

India

R Sharma c Zampa b Behrendorff 5

K L Rahul c Finch b Coulter-Nile 50

*V Kohli c Coulter-Nile b Zampa 24

R Pant run out 3

†M S Dhoni not out 29

D Karthik b Coulter-Nile 1

K Pandya c Maxwell b Coulter-Nile 1

U Yadav lbw b Cummins 2

Y Chahal not out 0

Extras (lb 2, w 9) 11

Total (7 wickets, 20 overs) 126

Fall: 1-14, 2-69, 3-80, 4-92, 5-94, 6-100, 7-109

Did not bat: M Markande, J Bumrah

Bowling: Behrendorff 3-0-16-1; Richardson 4-0-31-0 (w 5); Coulter-Nile 4-0-26-3 (w 1); Zampa 3-0-22-1 (w 2); Cummins 4-0-19-1 (w 1); Short 2-0-10-0

Australia

D Short run out 37

M Stoinis run out 1

*A Finch lbw b Bumrah 0

G Maxwell c Rahul b Chahal 56

†P Handscomb c Dhoni b Bumrah 13

A Turner b Pandya 0

N Coulter-Nile b Bumrah 4

P Cummins not out 7

J Richardson not out 7

Extras (w 2) 2

Total (7 wickets, 20 overs) 127

Fall: 1-5, 2-5, 3-89, 4-101, 5-102, 6-113, 7-113

Did not bat: J Behrendorff, A Zampa

Bowling: Bumrah 4-0-16-3; Chahal 4-0-28-1; Yadav 4-0-35-0 (w 2); Pandya 4-0-17-1; Markande 4-0-31-0

Result: Australia won by 3 wickets

Man of the Match: Nathan Coulter-Nile (Australia)

Umpires: Nitin Menon and Chettithody Shamshuddin (India). TV Umpire: Anil Chaudhary (India). Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)