Cricket has always been about an incredible number of twists and turns, and that was certainly on display in the 4th T20I at Gold Coast. The Australians appeared likely to be chasing a total when they were able to put a stop to India’s run chase that would have allowed them to reach over 180 runs. It looked like we were witnessing a typical Australian comeback story with the way Matt Short started; he hit 25 off 19 deliveries. However, before long, it became apparent that Australia had gone from being 0/35 to being bowled out for 119, having lost seven wickets for the loss of just 28 runs during their death overs. Axar Patel and Shivam Dube were able to take advantage of this situation, creating an opportunity to take what was initially a modest target of 167 to create a mental suffocation of the Australians.
Axar Patel: The Control Freak
Axar impacted both innings as a two-way player, an increasingly rare commodity in contemporary T20 cricket. He struck 21 from 11 deliveries in the later stages of India’s innings to give India a score to protect. However, he is best remembered for the impact he made with the ball as he struggled to find the right length, ultimately conceding just 20 from his 4 overs and picking up important early wickets, highlighting how under-rated off-spin can be in death bowling, although he did get a crucial review-driven lbw dismissal of Matt Short, which effectively put the breaks on the Australian opener and showed the growth of India’s tactical depth. Traditionally, India has used their spinners to strangle runs in the last few overs – Axar followed this pattern at the Gold Coast as much as he would have if he had been the early T20 interventionist that Ravichandran Ashwin became.
Death Overs Mastery: Dube and Axar’s Twin Axes
Dube’s short stint of bowling with the ball told an equal story as his expensive outing in Hobart. His off cutters and his short deceptive deliveries dismantled Tim David and Mitch Marsh; David, who was threatening to destroy the innings after hitting a towering six, was defeated by the most simple tactical play (a cramped cross-batted delivery to Suryakumar Yadav at cover). This is an example of how bowlers exploit a batter’s confidence. This has been seen throughout history in Australian collapses in T20s when an aggressive top order is met with disciplined death bowling. Between Axar and Dube, the Indian lower order achieved a 7-28 run outburst that changed the entire course of the game.
Aussies’ Chase: Promise Lost in Execution
Australia began well, as indicated by Short’s two consecutive sixes, and an aggressive style to begin with, which indicated they would be able to chase over 180. However, the middle and lower orders of Australia’s batting then crumbled at a rate determined by the pressure applied, and Josh Inglis failed to counter Axar’s dot ball approach; and three of the next four batsmen (Phillipe & Maxwell) were dismissed in succession, followed immediately by the dismissal of Stoinis and Bartlett. It is very clear what happened here – Pressure + Pace Variation = Panic. Historically, Australia’s T20 teams have tended to struggle when chasing totals less than 180 overseas, however, this time they lost their batting line up in a way that was both calculated and efficient for the opposing side – in this case India who used a combination of spin, pace and a precise fielding plan to cause a rapid collapse.
Early Powerplay: Hints of Indian Vulnerability
While India’s top order had an explosive opening, 49 runs were scored off the first six overs. Gill and Yadav could not continue that trend as Ellis’ back-of-the-hand slower ball and some very good tight bowling by Zampa saw four Indian batsmen fall for just 15 runs in 14 balls. The stats told the story of how difficult it was to maintain momentum with quality variation. Shubman Gill’s strike rate of 117.9 showed that while he was able to get his runs quickly at times, he found it extremely difficult to sustain that pace. It illustrates a minor but important point about the T20 format that even when you win, there are so many small margins; if you do not get the right ball at the right time, you can see mini collapses. The fact that India was able to survive this early collapse and still score 167 shows the depth of their batting lineup.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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