and there's the win, Australia seal a 2-0 series victory. Back of a length on off stump, and Maxwell makes a bit of room and flat-bats it to the right of extra-cover. He's been simply unstoppable today
India vs Australia, 2nd T20I at Bengaluru, IND v AUS, Feb 27 2019 - Match Result
10.45pm And that is that from this T20I series. Come World Cup, you'd think Australia will have assembled a pretty damn formidable 15, regardless of their poor results in the format over the last couple of years. There's still an ODI series to go before that, and it begins on March 2 in Hyderabad. Be sure to join us for that. Until then, it's goodbye from Sreshth, Chandan and me. Good night!
Aaron Finch: "Anytime you can win any kind of series against India in India is special. Outstanding innings from Maxy, and I must mention Adam Zampa as well, to bowl as he did on this wicket, end up with none for 20 (23) off his four overs. We've been on a journey for the last 10-11 months building towards the World Cup, and there has been a bit of pain as well. The great thing is we've kept improving through that period."
Glenn Maxwell is the Player of the Match and the Series: "We were just talking about how we haven't had a lot of success here. To come and perform as well as we have in these two T20s, it's a great start to this tour. I think it helps playing a big bulk of T20 in the domestic tournament back home and come here. It was a pretty good wicket, so we were able to wait for anything slightly off line or length. We just needed to get it to about 11 or 12 an over for the last four overs, and back ourselves from there. After D'Arcy's dismissal it was up to me to sit around and drive the innings forward. Pete Handscomb did a great job of getting off strike and being busy. We were able to keep consistently having good overs, and keep the [required] run rate in check."
Virat Kohli: "Australia outplayed us in both games, they were more clinical with bat, ball and on the field. We put up a decent total, 190 is a good score on any ground, but there was too much dew around, and when Maxy plays an innings like that, you can't do too much. Every team will look to fine-tune whatever they need to before the World Cup, and we'll keep doing that in the ODI series too, but we still want to win every match we play. We wanted to give everyone some game time, we've seen how these guys react in different situations, and we have a few more games to see how they keep doing under pressure. The Bangalore wicket was back to normal, you could trust your technique and game and just go for it, tonight was one night where it came off, but it doesn't matter because we lost."
VJ: "It's only February but already the best Test innings and best T20 innings awards of 2019 have been sewn up - by Kusal Perera and Maxwell respectively."
Giggity: "Maxie for MoM and MoS. Do I get an award for making an obvious prediction?" -- Yup, I'm publishing your comment.
Peter Handscomb: "I just tried to get Maxy on strike, that was the plan, and it was great to be there till the end. We wanted to make sure there's an in batter at the end, and it was the batters' job to complete the job. [Maxwell is] a freak, he can play shots other people can't, and he's really matured now. It was just a pleasure being at the other end."
It's times like these that make for a good behind-the-scenes look at a player. Here's the story of Glenn Maxwell by SB Tang for the Cricket Monthly.
Abhijato: "As I commented last match, Maxwell has had all the odds held against him for the last few months. He simply can't get into the Test side, or into the middle order of the Australian ODI team. He's the most unorthodox international batsman in the world right now. He's sent out as strong a message as a player can to the Ashes selectors, and Langer who's seemingly only doubted him. I'm an India fan, but tonight, I can just stand and applaud. Well played, and cheers, Maxi!"
Dev : "Pant + Dhawan - 15 runs off 30 balls + 1 dropped catch. Pretty much sums up where the match was lost "
Mohammed Waseem: "Maxwell claims atleast a nomination to another T20I performance of the year award"
10.26pm A big confidence boost for Australia ahead of the ODIs, and a big statement from Glenn Maxwell ahead of the World Cup. How this man isn't an ever-present in all formats will remain a mystery to me - he's just too good a player. No one in the world has hands like him. A few questions for India - I thought picking the extra batsman in Vijay Shankar was the right call, but did they score enough? Dhawan's contribution at the top will come under some scrutiny for sure.
make that one off three. What a sensational shot. Attempted yorker misses the length marginally, and the wide-ish full-toss is launched straight back over the bowler's head with an incredible bottom-handed shovel
Seven off four.
ooh. Backward point is right on the edge of the circle, and Handscomb has opened his bat face and squeezed this off-stump yorker straight to the fielder to get off strike
back of a length close to off stump, slapped to point, can't beat the diving fielder
Right then, nine to get from the last over. This has looked like an Australia canter, but Bumrah has kept India in it. Just.
full on off stump, Laxmaned down to long-on
JackT: "Well, this was worth the all nighter here in Aus, what a player Maxwell!!"
another low-ish full-toss. More leg-stumpish this time. Punched to long-on, bat jarring on impact
full-toss, about stump high, on middle stump. Punched straight back and it hits the middle stump at the other end
off-stump yorker. Gets his front foot out of the way and fashions a one-legged flick to square leg
"More people standing up - they're clapping for Maxwell," Varun says. "Some of them aren't bothering to sit back down. Straight for the exits."
length ball outside off, opens his bat face and jabs to backward point
yorker just outside off, jams his bat down and squeezes it past the right of the diving keeper. Off the cue end of the bat, and he'll only get a single, but that's all he needed to bring up his third T20I hundred. First Australian to the mark. What a player.
And just like that, Australia need a mere 14 off their last two overs. This has been a special innings from Maxwell.
another full-toss - seemed close to waist height but perhaps just below - outside off. Maxwell flat-bats it on the full to long-off, but this, of course, is a free hit
Free-hit.
waist-high full-toss. We'll have to check for no-ball here. Yup, it is, but it doesn't matter to Maxwell, who opens up at the hips and simply wallops this over wide long-on. Sensational hitting, moves to 98
back of a length slower offcutter heading towards leg stump. Punched down to long-on
yorker just outside off, good use of the hands to steer it to the right of third man
Varun Shetty, our man at the Chinnaswamy, notes that spectators have begun leaving the stadium at the end Kaul is bowling from.
Vijit Mahaur: "Credit must be given where it is. This is real Maxwell. Maxwell which he always aspired to be. Calm, composed and Dangerous, all the same time."
in the blockhole on off stump, whipped away to deep square leg
dismissive. That's smacked the top corner of the sightscreen, on the full. Length ball outside off, and he just clears his front leg and smacks it through the line
short ball just outside off, maybe the knuckle ball, and Maxwell swivels too early into his pull and gets hit on his back
Kaul.
very full outside off, Maxwell slices it flat and hard towards deep point
that's a great shot. Not the most attractive shot he's played, and it's muscled rather than timed, but he's gone so deep in his crease to convert a slightly back-of-a-length slower delivery into a short ball and he swivels to beat the diving square leg fielder
length ball on off stump, opens his bat face and steers it down to third man
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | |
Toss | Australia, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2018/19 |
Player Of The Match | |
Player Of The Series | |
Series result | Australia won the 2-match series 2-0 |
Match number | T20I no. 749 |
Hours of play (local time) | 19.00 start, First Session 19.00-20.25, Interval 20.25-20.45, Second Session 20.45- 22.15 |
Match days | 27 February 2019 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |
Over 20 • AUS 194/3
Australia won by 7 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)