India won the fourth game of the series by 20 runs, to seal the five-game series 3-1. While chasing 175 runs, Australia could only manage 154 at the loss of seven wickets. No Australian batsman could leave an impact, and things were always difficult for them as Indian bowlers kept bowling tight overs and took wickets regularly. At the end of the first innings, it felt India was 15-20 runs short, but Indian spinner duo Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi conceded runs with misery, giving away just 16 runs and 17 runs respectively in their four overs. Axar took 3 crucial wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi took a wicket.
Australia had a brisk start when Travis Head took on the fast bowlers, but once captain SKY introduced the spin bowlers in the powerplay, the tables turned in favour of India. Towards the end, it was captain Matthew Wade, who was the lone survivor for Australia, but it was not sufficient.
India, despite losing back-to-back wickets after the powerplay, managed to score 174 in their 20 overs. With the aggressive batting by Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma, India eyed 190+ at a point. However, a flurry of wickets in the last two overs restricted India to 174 at the loss of nine wickets.
Rinku played a composed innings of 46 runs in 29 balls, while Jitesh scored 35 runs in 19 balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 32 runs off 28 balls. However, captain SKY and Iyer couldn’t help contribute much to the total.
For Australia, Ben Dwarshius took 3 wickets for 40 runs. Sangha and Behrendorff took two wickets each.
Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a good innings of 37 runs, facing 28 balls in the powerplay, only to give his wicket to Aaron Hardie. He faced most of the deliveries in the powerplay. India have managed to score 50 runs in the powerplay overs
The fourth encounter of the five-game series will be a thriller, as both the teams will not take it easy, or let their opposition take it easy. Both young teams will play for a win here, since India is one win away from taking the series home, while Australia would like to take it to the series decider.
For India, Shreyas Iyer has joined the camp today. For Australia, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith have left, leaving behind a young inexperienced squad at the disposal of Matthew Wade’s captaincy.
Both teams have introduced a lot of changes for today’s game. For India, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Kumar, Jitesh Sharma and Shreyas Iyer are going to play today. Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan and Prasidh Krishna are benched today.
For Australia, Josh Philippe, Ben Dwarshius, Chris Green and Matthew Short are replacing Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Ellis for the game.
Australia has won the toss and asked India to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur. Stay tuned for the live updates and coverage from Raipur.
20 overs! India has won this game quite comfortably! It felt earlier that they were some 15-20 runs short! Credits to a disciplined bowling unit, especially the spinners who did not give runs freely!
India wins the series as well by winning the game by 20 runs!!
19 overs, Mukesh Kumar bowls a brilliant 19th over. Just 9 runs from it! Wade needs to do some Rinku or Yuvraj Singh stuff here to finish it off here!!
31 runs from 6 balls for Australia!!
18 overs, Wade is the last man standing here! 40 runs in two overs!! Avesh Khan goes for just 7 runs and a wicket in his third over. He will return to bowl the final over!
17.3 overs, Avesh Khan knocks off the off stump of Ben Dwarshius!! The only man between India and the series win is captain Wade here.
Ben Dwarshius 1 (2) b Avesh Khan
16.4 overs, another twist in the game! Another wicket! Pitched short at 119 Km/h by Chahar. Matt Short hits it straight to Jaiswal who won't miss it! He is a brilliant fielder.
Matt Short 22 (19) c Yashasvi Jaiswal b Deepak Chahar
Just six runs from Chahar's overs. He finishes his spell with 2/44.
Australia require 47 from 3 overs
16 overs, Australia still needs 53 runs in 24 balls. Wade is still in the middle, and they managed 14 runs in the previous over of Mukesh Kumar!
Australia 122/5
M Wade 11* (7)
M Short 19* (16)
14.4 overs, In the air and taken!! Tim David, the dangerous man is out here! It will be a moment of relief for Chahar who has been very expensive in his comeback game.
Tim David tried to pull the slow ball over mid-wicket, but there was nothing provided by Chahar to the ball. It was pouched safely by Jaiswal.
Tim David 19 (20) c Jaiswal b D Chahar
Australia require 67 off 30 balls
14 overs, two boundaries from the over of Mukesh Kumar! Looks like Australians were seeing off the Indian spinners.
They still need 76 in six overs!
Australia 100 up in 14.1 overs
13 overs, Wow!!! Bishnoi also bowls a melody! He finishes his spell with just 1/17 off his four overs. What a duo! What phenomenal figures!
Australia 90/4
Tim David 17* (16)
M Short 2* (8)
12 overs, Axar has bowled with great control! Just 6 runs from the over, and he ends up with phenomenal figures of 3/16 in his quota of 4 overs.
Australia 89/4
11.2 overs, Ben McDermott completely misses it! This one uproots his off stump! He has to depart! Straighter from Axar targeting the stumps, he gets the third wicket!
Australia 87/4
11 overs, Bishnoi is bowling a great spell. He almost had Ben McDermott, and this has been quite a Tom and Jerry affair between them.
Australia are 83/3 after 11 overs
Ben McDermott 15* (20)
Tim David 16* (14)
10 overs, at the halfway stage, Australia needs 99 runs to take the series to the decider. A six by Tim David has shown some commitment, and it won't be easy from here.
Australia 76/3, 10 overs
Ben McDermott 10* (16)
Tim David 14* (12)
9 overs, Axar bowls another tight over. It is getting difficult for Aussies. They are unable to score at run a ball
Australia 66/3 after 9 overs
8 overs, a good over by Avesh Khan. Australian innings have slowed down by frequent wickets.
Australia 61/3 after 8 overs
Ben McDermott 5* (10)
Tim David 6* (8)
7 overs, India are back in the game. They are all over Australia.
Australia 55/3 after 7 overs
Tim David 2* (3)
Ben McDermott 3* (7)
6.1 overs, Australia in a bit of trouble, they have their third man down. Another man tries to sweep against the spin. He will end up rattling his stumps. Loopy by Axar, and straight into the wickets.
A Hardie 8 (9) b Axar Patel
6 overs, Australian batsmen have been saved twice by the umpire's call off Bishnoi's bowling.
Australia 52/2 at the end of the powerplay
4.4 overs, Axar gets the big wicket! Head trying to heap it towards leg side, edges the ball and it is an easy catch for Mukesh Kumar at point.
Head 31 (16) c Mukesh Kumar b Axar Patel
Australia 45/2 after 5 overs
4 overs, brilliant and eventful over by Bishnoi! He is on point and almost had the second wicket too. Just two runs from the over.
Australia 42/1 after 4 overs
Head 30* 13
Ben McDermott 1* (4)
3.1 overs, Bishnoi strikes!! Pre-meditated by Philippe and his stumps rattle!! A failed attempt to sweep and his stumps are all-over the ground.
J Philippe 8 (7) b Bishnoi
3 overs, 4, 4, 0, 6, 4, 4.. big over for Australia. Head is all over Chahar! 22 runs from the over.
Australia 40/0 after 3 overs
1 over, a good start for both teams. 7 runs from the over by Deepak Chahar. Australia 7/0 after 1 over
20 overs, Ravi Bishnoi couldn't complete the second run! Another wicket, but India ends their innings here with a flurry of wickets! Australia has the momentum here.
Bishnoi 4 (3) run out Josh Philippe
India 174/9 after 20 overs
19.3 overs, India lose another wicket! They are eight down now. Chahar tries to clear the boundary but adds no power to it. Easy catch for Chris Green.
Deepak Chahar 0 (2) c Chris Green b Behrendorff
19.1 overs, Rinku Singh has to go. Seventh wicket down, and a flurry of wickets for India puts a halt to their scoreboard.
A very accurate yorker by Behrendorff! Brilliant bowling
Rinku Singh 46 (29) lbw J Behrndorff
18.5 overs, Axar Patel departs without scoring. A short ball, Axar pulls it and finds Sangha at the deep fine leg. Three wicket haul for Ben Dwarshuis.
Axar Patel 0 (1) c Sangha b Ben Dwarshuis
India 168/6 after 19 overs
18.4 overs, a very good knock from Jitesh comes to an end. He departs after scoring 35 off just 19 balls. Full outside off, he digs it to hit it over long-off, but no power to it! Easy catch on the boundary line!
Jitesh Sharma 35 (19) c Head b Ben Dwarshuis
18 overs, another great over, 14 runs from it! Just 12 deliveries to go, and Indian batsmen will look to make the most out of them!
India 161/4 after 18 overs
17 overs, Rinku Singh and Jitesh are doing good in the middle. A four by Rinku, and a six by Jitesh! 13 runs from the over. Just three more to go now.
Jitesh Sharma 26* (13)
Rinku Singh 35* (24)