Rohit Sharma and Axar Patel shine as India level series

It was sheer chaos at Nagpur last night as Team India levelled the series in exemplary fashion with Rohit Sharma leading the charge while the Finisher Supreme pulled off what he does the best, a theatrical finish. In a contest curtailed due to wet outfield, India and Australia were forced to play an 8-over contest. Despite the dearth of overs, there was absolutely no paucity of entertainment in a frenzied duel of two juggernauts of the game.

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first on a surface that had ample on offer for the batters. Aaron Finch got off to a steady start and before Cameron Green could replicate his pyrotechnics from the preceding contest, Virat Kohli conjured laserlike precision to leave the timbre rattled and the scampering Australian opener short of his crease.

Axar Patel struck twice in quick succession removing the big scalps of Glenn Maxwell and Tim David for dirt cheap as his stump-to-stump bowling left the Australian biffers with no answers. The arrival of Matthew Wade with Aaron Finch steadied the ship for a while before Bumrah produced his signature toe-crushing yorker to send the Aussie skipper back to the pavilion. Despite the fall of wickets at one end, Australia pinned their hopes on an in-form Matthew Wade who once again delivered the payload handsomely towards the end while Steve Smith hung in the middle at the other end to see things off, before Harshal Patel ran him out after a mix-up.

Chasing 91 from 8 overs, India had to get off to a breezy start to keep the series alive and their captain ensured that they were getting off to a stormy one. Rohit went all guns blazing at ace Australian quick, Josh Hazlewood, unloading 20 runs from the first over to set the tone for the remainder of the contest perfectly.

Despite Rahul’s fall at the hands of Zampa, Kohli came out to blast two dominant strikes down the ground before the leg-spinner struck again to raze through the former Indian captain’s defences. However, the kind of form that Rohit was in ensured that no matter the storm at the other end, he would sail India through.

Suryakumar and Hardik Pandya couldn’t last long in their pursuit of the tempest but Rohit was clear-headed on his mission and propelled India to the gates of a triumphant finish before Dinesh Karthik joined him in the middle and whacked Daniel Sams for a six and a four off the first two balls of his over, sealing the fate of the contest.

All eyes will now be on Hyderabad for Sunday where the two teams will be jousting for supremacy on a track that has its equal share of infamy and fame for producing a gala of run-fests, hoping to keep its tradition as two juggernauts of the most gruelling format of the game eye silverware.