Axar, Washington trigger Oz collapse, India lead 2-1

Hosts collapsed from 91/3 to 119 all out as Surya and Co won the 4th T201 by 48 runs

- Somshuvra Laha

India's Arshdeep Singh (C) and Axar Patel (L) celebrate after taking the wicket of Australia's Josh Phillippe on Thursday.

(REUTERS)

Axar Patel hit a Il-ball 21 before taking 2/20, Shivam Dube failed to convert a promising start at No.3 but justified his place with the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Tim David, and Washington Sundar bowled for the first time in the series to take 3/3 in eight balls to end Australia’s challenge.

Put to bat ona pitch that had something for the bowlers, India scored 167/8 after a comparatively quiet start from the openers. Abhishek Sharma was dropped second ball of the match by Xavier Bartlett but he couldn't build on that reprieve, holing out to David at long on after trying to hit Adam Zampa down the ground. The experiment with Dube at No.3 lasted 18 balls out of which he could hit only two for boundaries using his long levers to clobber a wide tossed up googly straight over his head.

Gill was quietly putting together an innings of some worth, but it needed a few more boundaries for him to slip intoa higher gear. Nathan Ellis bowled a back of the hand slower ball though that landed on off and slipped through the defences of Gill who was trying to whip it towards midwicket.