All-rounder Glenn Maxwell played a blistering knock of 113* runs to help Australia register a dominating seven wickets victory over India in the second T20I and clinch the two-match series 2-0 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing a target of 191 runs, Australia seemed to be at ease throughout their innings as they won the match before the completion of 20 overs.
After getting an early breakthrough in the form of Marcus Stoinis (7) and skipper Aaron Finch (8), Indian bowling attack could not maintain the momentum and leaked a lot of runs in the middle overs.
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D’Arcy Short and Glenn Maxwell built a 73-run partnership to take their team to a comfortable position. Following the fall of D’Arcy, Maxwell and Peter Handscomb did not let the momentum shift and drove their side home with a match-winning partnership of 99 runs.
Indian bowlers, especially Siddarth Kaul, proved to be very expensive on the day. Kaul leaked runs with an economy rate of 12.27 while spinner Yuzvendra Chahal gave away runs at the rate of 11.75.
Pacer Vijay Shankar scalped two wickets in the match and Kaul contributed with one wicket in the form of Marcus Stoinis.
Earlier batting first, India did exceedingly well with skipper Virat Kohli (72) leading from the front.
India kept losing wickets at regular intervals but Kohli and MS Dhoni’s 100-run partnership took the team to a decent total, in the end.
Maxwell was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant effort with the bat.
Next, India and Australia will take on each other in a five-match ODI series, beginning March 2.
(With ANI inputs)