In the second Twenty20 international on Sunday, India defeated Australia by a commanding 44 runs thanks to the batting exploits of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan.
India was invited to bat first in Thiruvananthapuram, where Jaiswal scorched a 25-ball 53 and fellow left-hander Kishan blasted 52 from 32 deliveries to lead India to 235-4.
With three wickets apiece from fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and spinner Ravi Bishnoi, the hosts reduced Australia to 191-9 and increased their advantage in the five-match series to 2-0.
Jaiswal’s massive total was laid down by batsmen, led by opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who hit 58, and Rinku Singh, who scored an undefeated 31 off only nine balls.
After smashing nine fours and two sixes, Jaiswal reached his fifty in twenty-four balls, but Nathan Ellis, a fast bowler, quickly took three wickets off him.
Before being removed by Marcus Stoinis, Kishan, a wicketkeeper-batsman, reached his fiftyth century with a six off leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha.
However, Rinku, who bats left-handed, concluded the innings with a barrage of sixes and boundaries.
Australia lost to 58-4 in response, with Steve Smith (19), Josh Inglis (two), and Glenn Maxwell (12) back in the dugout.
In their 81-run partnership, Tim David (striking 37 off 25 balls) and Stoinis (hitting 45 off 25 balls) tried to retaliate. Between them, they struck six fours and six sixes.
With a leg-spin move, Bishnoi broke the stand and dismissed David for timing his hit too long.
The wheels came off the pursuit with the dismissal of Stoinis, and Krishna got two more to all but destroy the batting team’s aspirations.
Australia lost the first match of the ODI World Cup last week, but captain Matthew Wade came back with an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls to narrow the deficit. Four days earlier, Australia had won the tournament.
Tuesday in Guwahati is the third Twenty20 match.