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Patna : India beat Australia by 11 runs in the 1st T20I at Manuka Oval, Canberra, Australia, on December 4, 2020, as yorker specialist Thangarasu Natarajan and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took three wickets each while all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja scored an unbeaten 44 in 23 balls hitting 5 fours and 1 six. Yuzvendra Chahal, who did not figure in the original playing XI, came as concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja who was hit on the head by while batting. Jadeja also had hamstring injury. Australia were not happy with the decision though but this is the Rule.
Australia had won the toss but opted to bowl. Chahal was named Player Of The match. India now lead the three-match series 1-0.
Chasing a target of 161, Australia had a solid start with openers Aaron Finch (captain) and D Arcy Short adding 56 runs for the first wicket. Finch fell to spinner Chahal for 35 in 26 balls hitting 5 fours and 1 six. Steven Smith also fell to Chahal for 12 making it 72/2. Glenn Maxwell fell to debutant Natarajan for 2 and it was 75/3. Short fell to Natarajan for 34 in 38 balls with 3 fours and it was 113/4. Matthew Wade fell to concussion substitute Chahal for 7 and it was 122/5.
Moises Henriques fell to fast medium bowler Deepak Chahar for 30 hitting a four and a six making it 126/6. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc fell to Natarajaqn for 1 making it 127/7 after 18.1 overs. Mitchell Swepson remained unbeaten on 12 in 5 balls hitting a four and a six off Mohd. Shami. Sean Abbott remained 12 not out. Australia could score only 150/7 in 20 overs.
Natarajan took 3/30 while Chahal took 3/25. Although spinner Washington Sundar did not take any wicket but he conceded just 16 runs in his 4 overs. Deepak Chahar took 1/29 in 4 overs. Shami, on the other hand, conceded 46 runs in his 4 overs without taking any wicket.
Batting first, India had scored 161/7 with opener Lokesh Rahul scoring 51 in 40 balls hitting 5 fours and 1 six and Ravindra Jadeja scoring an unbeaten 44 in 23 balls. Captain Virat Kohli fell to Mitchel Swepson for 9. Sanju Samson fell to Henriques for 23. Hardik Pandya scored 16 runs hitting a six. Henriques took 3/22 in 4 overs while Starc took 2/34 in 4 overs.