Wade, Finch cameos in vain as India level series

Captain Rohit Sharma has starred as India levelled the three-match T20 international series against Australia.

The hosts gained a six-wicket win in a match reduced to eight overs a side following a two-and-a-half-hour delay caused by a wet outfield.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade (43 not out off 20 balls) and captain Aaron Finch (31 off 15) scored freely as Australia made 5-90 in Nagpur Saturday morning AEST after being sent in.

Wade followed up his match-winning unbeaten 45 in the series opener with another boundary-laden innings highlighted by three sixes off Harshal Patel in the final over.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3-16 off 2) briefly gave Australia some hope after India's openers raced to 39 inside three overs.

He bowled both KL Rahul and Virat Kohl and trapped Suryakumar Yadav lbw, the last two falling in successive deliveries.

Image Id: 0DF31DAD721C446793AA942AFDDAF741 Image Caption: Zampa was the pick of the Aussie bowlers with three wickets // Getty

But Sharma (46 not out off 20) took consecutive boundaries off Sean Abbott in the next over and though Pat Cummins had Hardik Pandya caught, India would not be denied.

They needed nine to win off the last over and Dinesh Karthik sent the crowd into a frenzy with a slog sweep over deep backward square leg off the first delivery bowled by Daniel Sams.

He sealed the win with another leg-side boundary the following ball.

"There was just a little bit of execution with bat and ball I think at times that probably just swung the momentum of the game," Finch said.

"I thought obviously the way that Rohit played was pretty special and also (spinner) Axar (Patel 2-13 off 2) the way he bowled, he was outstanding."

"The outfield was very wet down in some pockets of the ground and the groundstaff did an amazing job to get it to a condition that we could play."

Image Id: 667D71FC2D3F4DC0A322BA57FFCDC0D0 Image Caption: Matthew Wade smashed three sixes from the final over of Australia's innings // Getty

Finch notched 24 of his team's first 31 runs, including an audacious scoop over the wicketkeeper's head in the first over and a straight six off Yuzvendra Chahal in the third.

His decisions to move Glenn Maxwell (0 off 1) and Tim David (2 off 3) up the order didn't pay off as both were bowled by the impressive Patel.

The stumps were rattled again when Finch had his leg peg castled by the recalled Jasprit Bumrah.

"I think it's important that you're always looking at ways to improve and obviously we went with Maxwell at three and Tim David at four, so we were trying to be a bit more aggressive up front," Finch said.

"We haven't played too many shortened games so I think especially leading into a World Cup we've put some thought into it over some time."

The home team quickly got ahead of the rate with 20 runs and three leg-side sixes in the first over, with Sharma swatting two in a row off Josh Hazlewood and Rahul following suit of the final ball.

Sharma also hit a six off Cummins and Zampa.

The final match of the series will be played in Hyderabad starting late on Sunday evening (AEST). 

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Qantas T20 Tour of India 2022

September 20: First T20: Australia won by four wickets

September 23: Second T20: India won by six wickets

September 25: Third T20, Hyderabad, 11.30pm Sept 25 AEST

All matches will be shown live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.