Australia’s batters have squandered promising starts to collapse in a heap in the fourth T20 against India on the Gold Coast to lose by 48 runs.
Their bowlers fought back to restrict India to 8-167 after the visitors appeared to be on track for a huge total but when it came time for the hosts to bat they went from 0-37 to being all out for 119.
The top six batters each made it into double figures but failed to make the most of their opportunities.
Matt Short blasted 25 off 19 before he was trapped in front by Axar Patel and Josh Inglis (12) was skittled by the same bowler before captain Mitchell Marsh perished for 30 when he was caught in the deep off Shivam Dube.
Josh Phillippe (10) and Marcus Stoinis (17) didn’t get going and the tail barely put up a fight with the last six wickets falling for just 28 runs.
Australia received an early boost with superstar allrounder Glenn Maxwell returning from a wrist injury.
Maxwell had not played since mid-September after he injured a wrist in the lead-up to last month’s T20 series against New Zealand.
But he made just two before he was bowled by spinner Varun Chakravarthy.
Earlier in the night, seamer Nathan Ellis (3-21) and legspinner Adam Zampa (3-45) struck key blows after India were 2-121 and cruising at the end of 14 overs.
India opener Shubman Gill (46 off 39 deliveries) top-scored at Carrara.
Flamboyant opener Abhishek Sharma was dropped from the second ball of the innings at deep point by Xavier Bartlett off the luckless Ben Dwarshuis.
Sharma, the world’s No.1-ranked T20 player by the ICC, made 28 in an opening stand of 56 with Gill.
Stoinis got one to lift nastily to take Sharma on the thumb, shoulder and helmet grill. The India star was given the all-clear to continue, then walloped the next delivery to the boundary.
He launched Zampa for six, before holing out to the same bowler at long-on.
Gill was at his graceful best, with a suite of boundaries a tribute to effortless timing.
One giant six over midwicket, off Stoinis, soared and soared.
Ellis, the master of the slower ball, deceived Gill with a change of pace.
Gill’s dismissal was quickly followed by the exit of India captain Suryakumar Yadav (20 off 10) as Zampa and Ellis turned the screws.
Maxwell’s return was one of four changes for Australia after their five-wicket loss in Hobart, with Zampa, batter Josh Philippe and Dwarshuis also coming into the side.
The Indians have taken a 2-1 lead in the series with just the fifth and final fixture at the Gabba to come.
Travis Head and Sean Abbott had earlier been released by Australia ahead of the Ashes and will play in the next round of Sheffield Shield matches.
with AAP
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