Australia wins the thriller, India the series

By Kersi Meher-Homji

The T20 series between India and Australia followed the One Day International (ODI) pattern. Just as India had won the final match of the ODI series last week at Canberra after losing the series 0-2, Australia won the final match of the T20 series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) last night after losing the series 0-2.

Call it “cricket contrary cricket”!

Watched by a packed crowd at the SCG (is the COVID-19 pandemic over?), Australia narrowly won the thriller but India won the series.

With opener Matthew Wade belting 80 runs and Glenn Maxwell 54, Australia totaled 5 for 186. Washington Sundar took 2 for 34.

India was in the hunt with Virat Kohli going great guns, 85 of the best with three sixes. But once he was caught brilliantly by Daniel Sams, the rest fell cheaply and India made 7 for 174 to lose narrowly by 12 runs.

Australia’s pace bowler Mitchell Swepson was adjudged Man of the Match and India’s Hardik Pandya Man of the Series.

The final match provided interesting oddities:

  • Opening batsmen from both Australia (Aaron Finch) and India (KL Lokesh Rahul) were out for ducks in the final T20 match at the SCG.
  • It was all S in the above match at Sydney when Sanju Samson was caught Steve Smith, bowled Swepson.
  • India had similar sounding bowlers, Chahal and Chahar.

PS: In case you have not seen today’s Column 8, here it is. This is only to share with you.

Caesar caught Shakespeare bowled Bernard Shaw

December 8, 2020 ”” 9.00pm, Column 8, The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Will Pucovski (C8) could be known as Will Killa-COVI,” thinks Joy Cooksey of Harrington. “Could prevent run-outs now the borders are being relaxed.” Kersi Meher-Homji of St Ives suggests Whisky, which would probably be more easily uttered in the heat of battle. He also points out, that many cricketers don’t need a nickname due to their already excellent existing ones, including a couple of “Indian cricketers now in Australia; Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson. Napoleon Einstein represented India in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup and played for Chennai Super Kings in Indian Premier League. Then there were Julius Caesar (1830-78), William Shakespeare (1893-1976) and George Bernard Shaw (1931-84) who played county cricket in England. Any more?”

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