India vs Australia, 1st T20I: As it happened

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of India's tour of Australia. Today, Virat Kohli-led Men in Blue will take on Aaron Finch's Australia in the opening T20I of the three-match series in Canberra.

Image Credits: Twitter/@BCCI

Concussion substitute Yuzvendra Chahal and debutant T Natarajan shone with the ball to help India kick off their three-match T20I series against Australia with a 11-run victory at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Friday.

Asked to bat first, India made a not-so-good start to their innings as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli cheaply for one and nine runs, respectively.

Opener KL Rahul (51) then brought up a crucial half-century besides sharing a 38-run stand with Sanju Samson (23) to steady India's innings.

After Rahul was dismissed for 40-ball 51 runs, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 23-ball 44 with the help of five fours and one six to help India post a decent total of 161/7.

For Australia, Moisis Henriques bagged three wickets, Mitchell Starc took two wickets and Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson chipped in with a wicket each.

In reply, Chahal--who replaced Jadeja as concussion substitute--finished with brilliant figures of 3/25, while Natarajan grabbed the figures of three for 30 as Australia were restricted to a score of 150/7.

Here are the highlights:

04 December 2020

17:15 IST

WICKET!! Another wicket for T Natarajan as Mitchell Starc was clean bowled on the first ball of 19th over. Australia now need 35 runs off 10 deliveries. Australia 127/7 (18.3 overs)

17:12 IST

WICKET!! Mathew Wade departed cheaply for seven runs after being caught by Indian skipper Virat Kohli at deep midwicket on the alst ball of the 17th over by Yuzvendra Chahal. Australia now need 40 runs off 18 balls. Australia 122/5 (17 overs)

16:53 IST

WICKET!! D'Arcy Short fell for 38-ball 34 after being caught by Hardik Pandya at long-on on the last delivery of 15th over by T Natarajan. Two wickets for Natarajan on his T20I debut. Australia 113/4 (15 overs)

16:52 IST

16:41 IST

WICKET!! T Natarajan bags wicket on his T20I debut as Glenn Maxwell is caught leg before wicket on the third delivery of 11th over. Australia now need 83 runs from 54 deliveries. Australia 79/3 (11 overs)

16:39 IST

WICKET!! Yuzvendra Chahal struck again. Shortly after Aaron Finch departed for 35, Steve Smith also followed his captain back to the pavilion after being caught by Sanju Samson at deep midwicket on the fifth ball of 10th over. Australia 74/2 (10 overs)

16:26 IST

WICKET!! Yuzvendra Chahal, who has replaced Ravindra Jadeja as concussion substitute, gives breakthrough to India by bagging a big wicket of Aaron Finch. The Australian skipper departs for 26-ball 35 after Hardik Pandya sprints to his left from long-off to grab a good catch on the fourth ball of the eighth over. Australia 58/1 (8 overs)

16:14 IST

Australia have managed to cross the 50-run mark in their chase of 162-run target. Aaron Finch and D'Arcy Short continue to stand strong at the crease at their respective scores of 33 and 18. Australia 53/0 (6 overs)

16:11 IST

17 runs off the last two overs. D'Arcy Short (15) smashed Mohammed Shami for back-to-back boundaries in the third over before Aaron Finch (16) slapped the first delivery of the fourth over by Washington Sundar in front of deep midwicket off the back foot for four runs. Australia 33/0 (4 overs)

15:59 IST

UPDATE: Ravindra Jadeja got a blow on the helmet in the final over of India's innings and as a result, Yuzvendra Chahal will now take the field in the 2nd innings as his concussion substitute.

UPDATE: Ravindra Jadeja was hit on the helmet in the final over of the first innings of the first T20I.

Yuzvendra Chahal will take the field in the 2nd innings as a concussion substitute. Jadeja is currently being assessed by the BCCI Medical Team. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/tdzZrHpA1H

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2020

15:56 IST

Aaron Finch (10) and D'Arcy Short (5) have made decent start to Australia's chase, adding 16 runs in the first two overs. Short clipped the first ball of the first over by Deepak Chahar to fine leg to get off the mark with one run before the Australian skipper swiped the very next ball through midwicket to open his account with four runs. Australia 16/0 (2 overs)

15:45 IST

D'Arcy Short and Aaron Finch have walked down the crease to begin Australia's chase. Deepak Chahar to open the attack for India.

15:29 IST

INNINGS BREAK!!

15:28 IST

Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten at 23-ball 44 as India set a decent target of 162 runs for Australia. India 161/7 (20 overs)

15:20 IST

Mitchell Starc gave away 12 runs to India before Josh Hazlewood bowled a quite expensive over, conceding 23 runs. Washington Sundar (6) picked up four runs on the fourth delivery of 18th over from Starc before Jadeja (34) smashed Hazlewood for three boundaries and a six in the next over as the Men in Blue have crossed the 150-run mark. India 150/6 (19 overs) 

15:05 IST

 WICKET!! Hardik Pamdya departed cheaply for 16 runs after being caught by Steve Smith at long-off on a Moises Henriques delivery in the 17th over. India 115/6 (17 overs)

14:57 IST

Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya are currently batting at the crease at their respective scores of six and seven as India have managed to cross the 100-run mark against Australia. India 104/5 (16 overs)

14:47 IST

WICKET!! KL Rahul, who was looking good at the crease, fell soon after scoring his half-century after being caught by Sean Abbott at long-on on the fifth delivery of 14th over by Moisis Henriques. India 93/5 (14 overs)

14:45 IST

WICKET!! Shortly after Sanju Samson departed, Manish Pandey (2) followed him back to the pavilion after being caught by Josh Hazlewood at at short third man on an Adam Zampa delivery in the 13th over. India 91/4 (13 overs)

14:36 IST

WICKET!! Sanju Samson departed after scoring 15-ball 23 after smashing the first ball of the 11th over by Moisis Henriques straight to cover, only to see Mitchell Swepson to grab the catch. India 89/3 (12 overs)

14:33 IST

FIFTY!! KL Rahul, who came to open the batting for India today alongwith Shikhar Dhawan, has brought up his T20I fifty off 37 balls. He reached the mark with a single by clipping the fourth ball of the 11th over by Sean Abbott to deep square leg. India 86/2 (11 overs)

14:24 IST

KL Rahul (45) is looking good at the crease and is approaching his T20I fifty, while Sanju Samson (11) has joined him at the other end after Virat Kohli's dismissal. Samsin pumped the first ball of the ninth over by Mitchell Swepson over deep midwicket for six runs before Rahul pulled the fifth ball of the same over firmly between long-on and deep midwicket for a boundary. India 68/2 (9 overs)

14:19 IST

WICKET!! Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who has displayed decent performances with the bat in the ODI series against Australia, dismissed cheaply for nine runs in the first T20I after handing a return catch to Mitchell Swepson on the fourth delivery of the seventh over. India 51/2 (9 overs)

14:10 IST

Good last two overs for India as they added 17 runs on the scoreboard. Virat Kohli (7) smashed the fourth delivery of the fourth over by Josh Hazlewood back into the leg side and over midwicket for a boundary before KL Rahul (20) drilled the first ball of the next over by Adam Zampa through the covers for four runs. India 30/1 (5 overs)

13:57 IST

WICKET!! Mitchell Starc gives breakthrough to Australia as early as in the third over. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan departs cheaply for one run after getting clean bowled with a trademark delivery from Starc on the fifth ball of the third over. India 13/1 (3 overs)

13:52 IST

Openers Shikhar Dhawan (1) and Kl Rahul (4) have made a slow start to their innings, adding just six runs off the first two overs.Rahul got off the mark by driving the second ball of the first over by Mitchell Starc between point and backward for two runs, while Dhawan flicked the second delivery of the next over by Josh Hazlewood to third man's left to open his account with one run. India 6/0 (2 overs)

13:42 IST

Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have walked down the crease to begin India's innings. Mitchell Starc to open the proceedings for Aussies. 

13:22 IST

India have rested Jasprit Bumrah for the first T20I against Australia, while KL Rahul will open the innings with Shikhar Dhawan. For Australia, Mitchell Swepson has been called up in place of  injured Ashton Agar, who has been ruled out of the series.

13:20 IST

LINEUPS:

India Playing XI: KL Rahul (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (capt), Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan

Australia Playing XI: Aaron Finch, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Wade, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

13:12 IST

Australia win the toss, opt to bowl against India!

Australia have won the toss in the first T20I and they have opted to bowl first. #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/jWbp8uVJXU

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2020

13:07 IST

After making his ODI debut during the third match against Australia, T Natarajan has now received his maiden T20I cap from pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Onwards and upwards!

After his ODI debut, @Natarajan_91 will today play his maiden T20I game for #TeamIndia. He gets his  from @Jaspritbumrah93 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/hfDsw2Tycu

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2020

13:04 IST

The toss for 1st T20I between India and Australia will take place shortly.