India vs Australia, 1st T20, Ranchi, highlights: IND win by 9 wickets (D/L)

Indian batsmen had little time to produce fireworks, six overs to be precise, but it was enough for them to spark a nine-wicket win in the first T20I against Australia in Ranchi on Saturday. Virat Kohli-led side is now 1-0 ahead in the three-match series. After rain forced an early end to Australia’s innings at 118.8 in 18.4 overs, India’s target was set at 48 runs in six overs. Catch full cricket score of India vs Australia, 1st Twenty20 International from Ranchi here (SCORECARD|STREAMING INFO) (SA vs BAN SCORES)

23:00 hrs IST: And that’s it. Thank you for joining us. Until next time, it’s goodbye. Cheers!

Kuldeep Yadav (Man of the Match): “First couple of balls, I saw what he was doing, later on I set him up for the sweep shot. So I knew he wasn’t going to hit me over mid-off, so I planned that overpitched ball to bowl him. Always think about wickets, that’s all that matters for me and the team. Getting more confidence day by day, game by game.”

Virat Kohli: “Especially after winning the toss and bowling first, that effort was required. We don’t really understand the Duckword Lewis method. After getting them down to 118, we thought it would only be 40 or something. 48 was tricky.”

David Warner: “At the end of the day, it’s a poor result for us. We have to be better next game. We didn’t deserve to have that chance. Almost being bowled out for 120. But to get as close as we did, the bowlers did an okay job. Don’t have an answer for you. We had a good partnership up top with Finchy and myself, but then there was a collapse again in the middle order.”

22:41 hrs IST: FOUR! And that’s it. India beat Australia by nine wickets (D/L) to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

22:40 hrs IST: Another length delivery from Christian, Kohli hits it to long leg for a double. India need 3 off 4.

22:39 hrs IST: Length ball and Dhawan smashes it to deep mid-wicket but only for a single. India need 5 off 5.

22:38 hrs IST: Dan Christian to bowl the final six balls.

22:36 hrs IST: Great over from Adam Zampa but still, India on top. They need 6 off 6.

22:32 hrs IST: This is intelligent cricket from India. There was no need to panic after Rohit’s dismissal and that’s what they’ve ensured. They need 12 off 12.

22:29 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Kohli. Another good over for the hosts, 10 runs off it. India need 21 off 18.

22:27 hrs IST: Two boundaries off the first three balls. Seems all too easy for India now.

22:24 hrs IST: FOUR! Much needed boundary for India. Dhawan it is. Eleven runs off the over. India need 32 off 24.

22:22 hrs IST: Virat Kohli is the next man in.

22:21 hrs IST: OUT! NCN strikes, gets rid of Rohit wo failed to judge the straight ball and played it across the line.

22:20 hrs IST: SIX! Straying down leg and Rohit helps it over fine leg boundary for a maximum.

22:19 hrs IST: Nathan Coulter-Nile comes into the attack.

22:18 hrs IST: Excellent finish from Behrendorff. What an over for Australia, only five runs off it. India need 43 off 30.

22:17 hrs IST: After three dots, Rohit works a length delivery to point for a single.

22:15 hrs IST: FOUR! Fuller delivery from Behrendorff, on Rohit’s pads and the Mumbaikar flicks it in the gap between mid-wicket and mid-on.

22:14 hrs IST: As expected, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma to open the innings. Jason Behrendorff will open the attack.

22:09 hrs IST: Wow! Play to start in six minutes from now. India need 48 off 36.

22:05 hrs IST: Australian players are on the field and so are the umpires.

21:41 hrs IST: Groundsmen begin peeling the covers off. Official inspection at 22:05 local.

21:34 hrs IST: Good news. The rain has stopped. Groundsmen at the boundary. They are about to take the covers off.

21:16 hrs IST: The cut-off time for a five-over game is 22.18 local. India’s target will be 41.

21:06 hrs IST: And, the rain has picked up again. If it continues for another half an hour, we could have a washout.

21:01 hrs IST: Rain has reduced a bit fellas! We’ll keep you posted.

20:51 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada and Co have put South Africa on top in the second Test against Bangladesh.

20:44 hrs IST: Latest update - Still steady, this rain. Not good signs

20:38 hrs IST: The confidence of this current Indian cricket team stands out more than anything else.

20:31 hrs IST: Bad News. Rain has got heavier in Ranchi. Australia’s innings is completed. India’s target will be adjusted according to DLS.

20:24 hrs IST: More covers on the way. Doesn’t look promising for now.

The latest scenes from Ranchi. (HT Photo/ Abhishek Paul )

20:22 hrs IST: Our correspondent from Ranchi tells the surface and the square are covered now.

20:19 hrs IST: Oh no! The rain has picked up in Ranchi. Stay tuned for live updates.

20:17 hrs IST: OUT! And the Indian skipper affects a brilliant run-out of Dan Christian. It’s India all the way (for now).

20:15 hrs IST: Good over from Bumrah, two wickets and gives away just as many runs. Australia are 113/7 after 18 overs.

20:13 hrs IST: WICKET! And it’s the ‘King of the Yorkers’ Bumrah who cleans up Nathan Coulter-Nile. What a find he has been!

20:11 hrs IST: OUT! And Bumrah cleans up Paine. Back of a length delivery, the Australians looks to cut but misses .

20:09 hrs IST: SIX! Short delivery from Bhuvi, Paine gets into position and pulls it over long leg boundary. Australia are 111/5 after 17 overs.

20:07 hrs IST: (8-0-39-3) - Combined figures of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Australia’s spin woes deepening with every match.

20:06 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes back into the attack.

20:05 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Kuldeep. 25 balls since the last boundary. Australia are 99/5 after 16 overs. Can they finish well?

20:03 hrs IST: Kuldeep Yadav comes in for his final over.

20:01 hrs IST: Excellent over from Chahal, just three runs off it. With this, he finishes with the figures of 1/23. Australia are 95/5 after 15 overs.

19:59 hrs IST: Anything around 140 would be a good score but with only one specialist spinner in the side (Adam Zampa), Australia need at least 10-15 more than that.

19:55 hrs IST: OUT! Hardik Pandya joins the party. Gets danger-man Travis Head. Australia are 92/5 after 14 overs.

19:52 hrs IST: Christian is the next man in

19:51 hrs IST: OUT! Flighted delivery from Kuldeep, Henriques dances down the track and looks to slog it but instead misses (the balls keeps low) and crashes onto the stumps.

19:49 hrs IST: Dot ball to finish off from Pandya. Australia are 86/3 after 12 overs. Henriques 8*, Head 8*

19:48 hrs IST: FOUR! Touch short from Pandya and Henrqiues cracks it in the gap long on and deep mid-wicket boundary.

19:44 hrs IST: Last 30 balls, 31 runs and two wickets. Australia are 80/3 after 11 overs.

19:42 hrs IST: Moises Henriques, who last played for Australia in the Champions Trophy, comes to the crease.

19:40 hrs IST: WICKET! And Finch has shot himself in the foot. He was in two minds whether to go for it or not. First wicket for Kuldeep Yadav.

19:37 hrs IST: Good over for Australia, 10 runs off it. Need more of these. They are 72/2 after 9 overs.

19:34 hrs IST: SIX! Tossed up from Chahal, Finch gets down on one knee and mauls it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.

19:33 hrs IST: Great over from Kuldeep, just five runs off it. Australia are 62/2 after 8 overs. Finch 33*, Head 3*

19:31 hrs IST: That’s the fourth time in as many games that Yuzvendra Chahal has got rid of Glenn Maxwell.

19:29 hrs IST: Travis Head is in at No. 4

19:28 hrs IST: OUT! Chahal his lucky here. Too short from him, Maxwell rocks back and hits it straight to Bumrah at short mid-wicket.

19:26 hrs IST: Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack

19:25 hrs IST: One can expect Indian spinners to do the damage, considering how the pitch has played so far.

19:24 hrs IST: Single of the last ball for Maxwell. Australia are 49/1 after 6 overs.

19:23 hrs IST: FOUR! Overpitched from Pandya and Finch crunches it past mid-off. Looks in top form! Moves to 28

19:21 hrs IST: Hardik Pandya to bowl the final over of the Powerplay.

19:20 hrs IST: Two overs since the last boundary. Pressure on Australia now. They are 36/1 after 5 overs.

STAT ATTACK - Virat Kohli (1,830) is just 60 runs shy of eclipsing Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,889) as the second-most prolific run scorer in T20I history. Only Brendon McCullum (2,140) has scored more than either of them.

19:15 hrs IST: Magnificent over from Bhuvneshwar. Using his variations to perfection. Australia are 28/1 after 4 overs. Finch 17*, Maxwell 3*

STAT ATTACK - Australia have won six of their last eight away T20Is.

19:11 hrs IST: Two boundaries in a row from Finch. Good start from the visitors despite Warner’s dismissal. Finch needs to hang in till the end. Australia are 25/1 after 3 overs.

19:09 hrs IST: Here comes the first change in bowling - Hardik Pandya

19:08 hrs IST: Decent over from Bumrah despite the boundary. Australia are 15/1 after 2 overs.

19:07 hrs IST: FOUR! Width on offer from Bumrah and Finch smacks it through cover for his first boundary of the night.

19:05 hrs IST: Jasprit Bumrah comes into the attack

19:04 hrs IST: Glenn Maxwell is the next man. He’s in desperate need of runs under his belt. Australia are 8/1 after first over.

19:03 hrs IST: OUT! Warner gets an inside edge onto his stumps. Bhuvneshwar Kumar gets his Sunrisers Hyderabad captain.

19:02 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries for Warner! Too much width from Bhuvi on both occasions and the Australian punishes it through cover and backward point respectively.

19:00 hrs IST: Straightaway some shape for Bhuvi. The Stand-in Aussie skipper making his intentions clear by stepping out from the ball one.

18:59 hrs IST: And we’re underway. David Warner and Aaron Finch to open for the Aussies. Bhuvi to start the proceedings for the Men in Blue.

18:57 hrs IST: Time for the national anthems.

18:42 hrs IST: So no Ashish Nehra. For visitors, Jason Behrendorff makes his debut. Dan Christian also comes back.

18:38 hrs IST: Here are the playing XI of both teams -

Australia: David Warner(c), Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, Tim Paine(wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni(wk), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

18:31 hrs IST: India have won the toss and have opted to bowl.

18:20 hrs IST: Sunil Gavaskar (Pitch Report): “Looks like a zooter of a pitch. New ball bowlers will get little bounce but the ball will keep a lot more low. Not easy for the batsmen to get under the ball. Because of the dew factor - at the moment there’s none - the teams would like to field first.”

18:08 hrs IST: Toss in a short while

18:04 hrs IST: Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal bowling on the side wicket.

17:58 hrs IST: Good news. Covers have been removed. Both teams are warming up.

17:48 hrs IST: Indian cricket team’s winning run at home makes for great viewing but looking ahead at bigger challenges, including the 2019 World Cup, more youngsters can be given a taste of international cricket in familiar conditions. New Zealand Cricket have done the same for their upcoming tour of India. A must read from our correspondent - Abhishek Paul.

17:36 hrs IST: Meanwhile, you can catch the live coverage of Brazil vs Spain, FIFA U-17 World Cup encounter here. Close game going on!

17:32 hrs IST: Slight drizzle in Ranchi. Groundsmen are ready with the covers. We’ll keep you posted!

17:28 hrs IST: A warm welcome to the first Twenty20 International between India and Australia from Ranchi.

Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team are on a definite high. After thrashing Australia 4-1 in the ODI series, the action shifts to the Twenty20 Internationals, where they have an impressive record.

India have won six consecutive T20Is against Australia. Virat Kohli’s side have also won all three T20Is played in India against Australia and will be aiming to continue their winning run.

Shikhar Dhawan comes back into the side after missing the ODI series. With Hardik Pandya in great form, India’s batting is in good shape.

The bowling has been boosted by the inclusion of 38-year-old Ashish Nehra and along with the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, India’s bowling is covered on all fronts.

David Warner (C) will have to shine with the bat if Australia are to match India in tonight’s T20 international at the JSCA international stadium complex in Ranchi. (AFP)

For Australia, they have been jolted with Steve Smith’s departure after suffering a shoulder injury. David Warner will lead the side and 27-year-old left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff is all set to make his debut.

Glenn Maxwell’s big-hitting will be the key if Australia are to snap their losing streak against India.