TNI Bureau:  India registered an exciting 6-wicket win over Australia in the second T20I to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with one match to go. Australia had won the ODI series 2-1.

Earlier, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Australia posted 194/5 in 20 overs. Matthew Wade scored 58, while Steven Smith made 46. Maxwell (22) and Henriques (26) were the other contributors. T Natarajan took 2 wickets for India.

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan gave a good start to India in the run chase. Rahul departed at 30. Dhawan scored 52. Virat Kohli tried to consolidate the innings, but he left after scoring 40.

When the stakes were down for India, Hardik Pandya upped the ante and scored a match winning knock of 42* off 22 balls with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes. He scored 14 runs in the first 4 balls in the final over to seal the game in India’s favour. India reached 195/4 in 19.4 overs. Hardik Pandya was declared ‘Player of the Match’.

This is also India’s 10th successive win away from home in T20Is (3 in West Indies, 5 in New Zealand & 2 in Australia).