<p>KL Rahul continued his impressive run in the shortest format with yet another fifty but it took Ravindra Jadeja's brilliant back-end flourish to take India to a fighting 161 for 7 against Australia in the first T20 International here on Friday.</p>.<p>The Indian vice-captain hit 51 off 40 balls but leg-spinner Adam Zampa (1/20 in 4 overs) and all-rounder Moises Henriques (3/22 in 4 overs) were brilliant between overs 11th and 15th, which shifted the momentum in favour of the home team till Jadeja came into play with a 44 not out off 23 balls.</p>.<p>During 11th and 15th over, India scored 22 runs and lost three wickets in Sanju Samson (23 off 15 balls), Manish Pandey (2 off 8 balls) and Rahul.</p>.<p>However, Jadeja (five fours and a six), who suffered from hamstring trouble, launched into Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in the final two overs that yielded 34 runs taking Indian to a par-score at the Manuka Oval.</p>.<p>The Indians found Zampa difficult to get away as he conceded only one boundary while Henriques conceded just a six, cleverly varying the pace of his deliveries with a good mix of cutters and seam-up stuff.</p>.<p>Rahul, who hit five fours and a six, along with Samson and the dangerous Hardik Pandya (16 off 15 balls) were deceived by the pace of pitch where driving on the up wasn't an easy job.</p>.<p>Mitchell Starc (2/34) was also quick and incisive at the start but got hit during the death overs.</p>.<p>Four days of rest had done Starc a world of good as he found both his length and swing back at the start. At a scorching 145 clicks, he bowled one that shaped away from Shikhar Dhawan starting on middle-stump and knocking the off-stump back.</p>.<p>Rahul's first boundary was a mis-hit off Hazlewood over third-man, followed by a cover drive off Zampa.</p>.<p>Another streaky boundary off Sean Abbott was topped up by a regal pull-shot into the mid-wicket stands.</p>.<p>Inexperienced leg spinner Mitchell Swepson (1/21 in 2 overs) repeatedly bowled short but did snap a prized catch in rival skipper Virat Kohli (9) when a ball stopped on him and the result was a return catch off a leading edge.</p>.<p>But Rahul punished him and so did Samson, who rocked back to hit him for a six. Rahul's half century came off 37 deliveries.</p>.<p>However, as has been Samson's trait, he perished when Henriques bowled an off-cutter and the uppish cover drive. He was pouched by Swepson and India's innings went down south from that moment before Jadeja partially redeemed it.</p>
<p>KL Rahul continued his impressive run in the shortest format with yet another fifty but it took Ravindra Jadeja's brilliant back-end flourish to take India to a fighting 161 for 7 against Australia in the first T20 International here on Friday.</p>.<p>The Indian vice-captain hit 51 off 40 balls but leg-spinner Adam Zampa (1/20 in 4 overs) and all-rounder Moises Henriques (3/22 in 4 overs) were brilliant between overs 11th and 15th, which shifted the momentum in favour of the home team till Jadeja came into play with a 44 not out off 23 balls.</p>.<p>During 11th and 15th over, India scored 22 runs and lost three wickets in Sanju Samson (23 off 15 balls), Manish Pandey (2 off 8 balls) and Rahul.</p>.<p>However, Jadeja (five fours and a six), who suffered from hamstring trouble, launched into Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in the final two overs that yielded 34 runs taking Indian to a par-score at the Manuka Oval.</p>.<p>The Indians found Zampa difficult to get away as he conceded only one boundary while Henriques conceded just a six, cleverly varying the pace of his deliveries with a good mix of cutters and seam-up stuff.</p>.<p>Rahul, who hit five fours and a six, along with Samson and the dangerous Hardik Pandya (16 off 15 balls) were deceived by the pace of pitch where driving on the up wasn't an easy job.</p>.<p>Mitchell Starc (2/34) was also quick and incisive at the start but got hit during the death overs.</p>.<p>Four days of rest had done Starc a world of good as he found both his length and swing back at the start. At a scorching 145 clicks, he bowled one that shaped away from Shikhar Dhawan starting on middle-stump and knocking the off-stump back.</p>.<p>Rahul's first boundary was a mis-hit off Hazlewood over third-man, followed by a cover drive off Zampa.</p>.<p>Another streaky boundary off Sean Abbott was topped up by a regal pull-shot into the mid-wicket stands.</p>.<p>Inexperienced leg spinner Mitchell Swepson (1/21 in 2 overs) repeatedly bowled short but did snap a prized catch in rival skipper Virat Kohli (9) when a ball stopped on him and the result was a return catch off a leading edge.</p>.<p>But Rahul punished him and so did Samson, who rocked back to hit him for a six. Rahul's half century came off 37 deliveries.</p>.<p>However, as has been Samson's trait, he perished when Henriques bowled an off-cutter and the uppish cover drive. He was pouched by Swepson and India's innings went down south from that moment before Jadeja partially redeemed it.</p>