India vs Australia 2020/21 T20 Series Review

India suffered a humiliating defeat in the 3 match ODI series in Australia back in November. Steve Smith scored stunning back to back centuries as he took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners, with Australia scoring more than 750 runs in the first 2 innings, to record consecutive impressive wins and also wrap up the series.

While India did win the 3rd ODI, it was merely a consolation and they were expected to lose the T20 series as well. However, the visitors sprang a surprise and stunned the hosts with a very impressive series win in the 3 match T20 series. Let’s take a look at how the 3 T20s played out, compared to our betting previews with odds from LeoVegas India. 

1st T20 – 4th December 2020 at Manuka Oval, Canberra 

Australia won the toss and elected to field on a summer day in the Capital. The Indians, with a lot to prove, started poorly with Shikhar Dhawan being dismissed for 1, with the score at 12 after 2.5 overs. It became worse after captain Kohli also departed cheaply.

KL Rahul (51) and Sanju Samson (23) stabilized the innings a little bit, before a late blast by Ravindra Jadeja (44* off 23) took India to a respectable score of 161/7 in their 20 overs. Among the Australian bowlers, only Moises Henriques had a noteworthy outing, picking up 3 wickets for just 22 in his 4 overs. 

The Australians started brightly with a flurry of boundaries from D’arcy Short and Aaron Finch, who put up 56 for the first wicket. However, they then lost quick wickets including the big ones of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell cheapy.

Moises Henriques tried to put up a fight with a valiant 30, but eventually Australia could only muster 150 in their 20 overs, as they fell short by 11 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal was adjudged as the man of the match after a spirited display with the ball, as he picked up 3 for 25, while Natarajan also picked up 3 for 30. 

1st T20 Betting Review

In our betting preview for this match, we had predicted that: 

• India will win the match @1.89
• Australia will hit the most sixes @2.05
• Australia will have the Highest Opening Partnership @1.86
• Chahal will be India’s top bowler @3.75

Remarkably, all 4 of our pre-match predictions came true, as India won the match by 11 runs, Australia hit 5 sixes while India could only hit 4. Australia had the highest opening partnership in the match and Chahal was India’s top bowler, and also adjudged as the Man Of The Match. All odds were taken from LeoVegas.

2nd T20 – 6th December 2020 at Sydney Cricket Ground

After a brilliant victory in the first match, India won the toss and decided to bowl first on a beautiful wicket in sunny Sydney.  

The Australians lost D’arcy Short very early, but still managed to stabilize their innings with a brilliant half century from Mathew Wade, who was ably supported by the consistent Steve Smith (46). Further quick blasts by Maxwell and Henriques took their score to a mammoth 195. Only Natarajan among the Indian bowlers found any sort of success, taking 2 wickets. 

The Indians started very solidly, with a half century from Shikhar Dhawan, who put up 56 for the opening stand. After the openers departed, captain Virat Kohli (40 off 24) and Hardik Pandya (42 off 22) made sure India are in control of the game, before a short blast by Shreyas Iyer (12 off 5) sealed the game for the visitors as India clinched a historic win by chasing down a mammoth target, to also seal the series 2-0. None of the Australia bowlers could manager for than 1 wicket, though Micheal Swepson was the most economical at 6.25. 

Hardik Pandya was adjudged as the Man Of The Match for his brilliant innings of 42, which helped India chase down a huge score. 

2nd T20 Betting Review 

For this match, we had predicted : 

• India to win the match @1.89
• Australia to hit the most sixes @2.05
• India to have the Highest Opening Partnership @1.86
• Chahal to be India’s top bowler @3.75

We got half of these predictions correct as India won the match after a historic run chase where they chased down 194. India also had the highest opening partnership as we predicted. We got the number of sixes preview wrong as India hit 9 sixes to Australia’s 6. We had also predicted Chahal to be India’s top bowler, but eventually it was Natarajan, who took 2 wickets. Odds provided by LeoVegas.

3rd T20 – 8th December 2020 at Sydney Cricket Ground 

After back to back defeats meant that Australia had already lost the 3 game series to India, the onus was on them to bounce back to record a victory, even if just for pride. India won the toss this time and elected to bowl first.  

The Australians seemed more up for this clash from the word go, with Mathew Wade taking matters in to his own hands and demolishing the Indian bowlers left, right and center, smashing a brilliant 80 off just 53 balls. He was inittialy supported by Smith (24) and then Glenn Maxwell (54 off just 36), as they took the home side to a solid score of 186/5 in 20 overs. Washington Sundar was India’s top bowler with 2 wickets. 

In response, India had the worst possible start as KL Rahul departed on the second ball of the innings, on a duck. Veterans Kohli and Dhawan then put 74 runs for the 2nd wicket. Kohli smacked a classy innings of 85, however, he wasn’t ably supported at all, with only Pandya scoring 20 as India succumbed to 174, falling 12 runs short of the target, as the series ended 2-1 in their favour. 

Mitchell Swepson was adjudged as the man of the match for his brilliant spell of 23/3 in 4 overs, also emergin as Australia’s top bowler in the league.