Australia Convincingly Beat India In Opening T20

Australia Convincingly Beat India In Opening T20

David Hussey (centre) took two wickets and scored 42 to help Australia beat India in Sydney

©REUTERS / Action Images

Australia 171-4 (Wade 72, Hussey 42) beat
India 140-6 (Dhoni 48no) by 31 runs
First Twenty20 International, Sydney
Scorecard

Australia scored a convincing 31-run win over India in the first Twenty20 International in Sydney to inflict another defeat on the struggling tourists.

Batting first, Australia battled their way to 171 for four between rain showers and then held India to 140 for six as Daniel Christian and David Hussey took two wickets apiece.

David Warner (25) entertained by hitting a switch-hit for six and Matthew Wade played a superb innings of 72 in 43 balls to underpin Australia's winning score.

Hussey struck some powerful blows down the ground to make 42 in 30 balls and although Ravichandran Ashwin, Ranganath Vinay Kumar, Suresh Raina and Rahul Sharma all took a wicket, they struggled to contain Australia's scoring rate once Wade and Hussey came together in the 10th over.

In reply, India lost Virender Sehwag (4) early before Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli also fell cheaply, for 20 and 22 respectively as 40-year-old Brad Hogg marked his comeback with the wicket of in-form Kohli.

Christian removed Raina for 14 and Ravindra Jadeja for seven as Hussey removed Rohit Sharma without scoring having already dismissed Gambhir.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni fought manfully to make 48 not out in 43 balls including hitting three sixes but he was left with far too much to do as Australia's spinners beat India at their own game to hand George Bailey a perfect start to his captaincy of the Twenty20 team.

The second and final game is in Melbourne on 3rd February.

© Cricket World 2012