India break losing streak in Down Under

Melbourne: India revived their Australian tour with a convincing eight-wicket win over the home side in the second Twenty20 international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

The tourists dazzled in the field with four runouts to restrict Australia to 131 off 19.4 overs before reaching the target at 135 for two with two balls to spare before 62,275 fans.

It was the Indians' first victory on their tour of Australia after losing the opening T20 game by 31 runs in Sydney on Wednesday and receiving a 4-0 thrashing in the Test series.

Australia were scuttled by India's brilliant fielding, the pick of which came from man-of-the-match Ravindra Jadeja who claimed two run outs.

It was a shambolic Australian performance with the bat and in the field as the youthful Indian side finally revealed the hunger missing for so much of the lopsided Test series.

Gautam Gambhir topscored with an unbeaten 56 off 60 balls with skipper M.S. Dhoni not out 21 off 18 balls after promoting himself to number four in the batting order.

"The fielding was exceptional. Best fielding side, I've seen. It will be hard to beat this effort," Dhoni said.

"We are a side that relies a lot on a good start, not about the runs, a good, calm start is what we look for.

"Overall it was a good effort by the bowlers and equally by the top three batsmen."

The Indians were always in control of the run chase, but tensions mounted in the final over as the Australians ringed the field around Gambhir before he pierced the circle for the winning runs with two balls to spare. India only lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag for 23 off 16 balls and Virat Kohli 31 off 24.

The impressive victory was just the momentum switch that India needed ahead of Sunday's opening match in the tri one-day series against Australia at the MCG.

Score

Australia

• D. Warner c Gambhir b Praveen Kumar 8
• A. Finch run out 36
• S. Marsh c Dhoni b Praveen Kumar 0
• D. Hussey c and b Jadeja 24
• G. Bailey run out 3
• M. Wade run out 32
• M. Marsh stumped Dhoni b R.Sharma 13
• B. Lee not out 6
• C. McKay c Dhoni b Vinay Kumar 0
• R. Hogg lbw b Rahul Sharma 4
• X. Doherty run out 1

Extras: (w-4) 4

Total: (all out, 19.4 overs) 131

Fall of wickets: 1-19 2-20 3-49 4-54 5-93 6-119 7-121 8-121 9-130

Bowling: Kumar 3-0-21-2 (w-1), Vinay Kumar 4-0-25-1 (w-1), V. Kohli 1-0-7-0, Jadeja 3-0-16-1 (w-1), RG Sharma 3.4-0-29-2, Raina 1-0-10-0, Ashwin 4-0-23-0 (w-1).

India

• G. Gambhir not out 56
• V. Sehwag c Marsh b Hogg 23
• V. Kohli c Wade b M. Marsh 31
• M. Dhoni not out 21

Extras: (w-4) 4

Total: (for two wickets, 19.4 overs) 135

Did not bat: S. Raina, RG. Sharma, R. Jadeja, R. Sharma, R. Ashwin, V. Kumar, P. Kumar

Fall of wickets: 1-43 2-97

Bowling: B. Lee 4-0-24-0 (w-1), C. McKay 3.4-0-25-0 (w-1), X. Doherty 3-0-29-0 (w-1), B. Hogg 3-0-19-1, M. Marsh 4-0-30-1 (w-1), Hussey 2-0-8-0.