Melbourne: Without a win across four Tests and the first T20I, India were able to right their wrongs, to an extent, with a convincing eight-wicket win over the Australia at the MCG in the second Twenty20 on Friday.
Gautam Gambhir struck a fine unbeaten 56 to help India register their first win on the tour. Chasing 132 to win, India reached 135 for two in 19.4 overs, with Gambhir and MS Dhoni (21 not-out) in the middle.
Openers Gambhir and Virender Sehwag provided India a confident start to their chase after the bowlers restricted hosts to 131. Sehwag looked in good nick as he hit two boundaries and a six for his innings of 23 off 16 balls. But when it looked Sehwag will destroy the opponents, Brad Hogg got the better of the right-hander.
Virat Kohli then joined Gambhir in the middle and the duo took India closer to the target. The two added 54 runs for the second wicket before Kohli fell to Mitchell Marsh for 31 off 24 balls.
Earlier, India dazzled in the field with four run-outs to restrict Australia to 131. Chasing their first victory on the tour, India rocked the home side with brilliant ground fielding led by two run outs from Man-of-the-Match Ravindra Jadeja.
Opener Aaron Finch, top-scored with 36 off 23 balls and Wednesday's Man-of-the-Match, Matthew Wade, chipped in with 32 off 29 balls.
But India had the home side under pressure from the third over when they dismissed the T20 specialist David Warner for eight to a great catch in the deep by Gambhir off Praveen Kumar.
Then struggling Shaun Marsh was out for a duck and Finch was run out by an outstanding piece of athletic fielding by Jadeja after David Hussey hit straight to him at backward point and scampered for a single.
Hussey also played a role in a second run out as Jadeja found skipper George Bailey (three) well out of his ground at the bowler's end, and was himself next to go, caught and bowled by Jadeja for 24 off 29 balls.
Smart glovework by skipper MS Dhoni had Mitchell Marsh stumped for 13 off spinner Rahul Sharma and Wade was run out by a direct throw from Rohit Sharma in the 19th over. The Australians collapsed losing their final three wickets in seven balls.
Kumar took two for 21 off three overs and Sharma claimed two for 29 off 3.4 overs.
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