A moment to savour, finally!

Youngsters come to the party as Indians end 15-match winless streak abroad

A few days back Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had emphasised the value youngsters bring on the field, and India’s first win on the tour of Australia was built on the agility of youth.

Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina produced superlative efforts on the field that played a massive role in Australia getting bundled out for a meager 131, a total that didn’t have the strength to test the Indians on a clement Friday evening. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who made an unbeaten fifty, gave Indians an ideal start, garnering 43 runs in little over six overs.

It was also the best opening stand put together by Sehwag and Gambhir during this tour, and at the MCG that was enough to power India to an eight-wicket victory as they leveled the T20 series 1-1. The result also ended a prolonged winless of streak of 15 matches away from home, dating back to their trip to England last year.

The return to form of Gambhir could be the biggest positive from this game. The Delhi left-hander has been a pale shadow of his destructive self thus far in the series, edging the ball repeatedly to the wicketkeeper and to the slip cordon. But a familiar Gambhir reappeared on the day, and there was nothing to trouble him barring a few short balls from Brett Lee and Mitchell Marsh.

After the departure of Sehwag, caught by Shaun Marsh off Brad Hogg, Gambhir found another solid partner in Virat Kohli, and they added 54 runs for the second wicket. Gambhir was the more assured of the two, and those patented chip shots over the covers off spinners were indicative of his good touch.

Dhoni walked in after Kohli’s dismissal, and didn’t allow the Australians to grab any sort of momentum, guiding India to a morale-boosting win in the company of Gambhir. There was some artificial excitement when Gambhir failed to score off the first three balls of the final over bowled by Clint McKay with one run needed. But he brought curtains down on a highly satisfying match for India, peeling off a boundary through mid-wicket.

Earlier, Australians opted to break the David Warner-Matthew Wade combination that did well at Sydney in the first T20 on Wednesday at the pole position, giving Aaron Finch a chance to open the innings. But the move didn’t pay the desired results as Warner skied Praveen Kumar to Gambhir at deep square leg. The early dismissal of Warner deprived Australia of an explosive start, and the rest of the line-up couldn’t compensate with big hits as Indian bowlers and fielders, for the first time in this series, worked like a well-oiled machine.

The lone Australian batsmen who looked dangersous was Finch, who struck the ball quite magnificently, and along with David Hussey looked set to torment the visitors. But Finch’s run-out turned the things around decisively.

Invited by Hussey for a quick single, Finch couldn’t beat Jadeja’s throw from point, and Dhoni, who had a neat day behind the stumps, did rest of the job with ease. Wade tried his best to take Australia to a bigger and more competitive total, but on this day the Indian fielders and bowlers were too strong for him. The run-outs of skipper George Bailey, Wade and Xavier Doherty, all resulting from the alacrity of Indian fielders, towards the middle part of Australian innings meant they ended up with a well below par score on a good surface to bat.

For once, the Indian batsmen didn’t disappoint, orchestrating a professional chase.