Australia suffer 'unreal' T20 collapse to India in World Cup 'mess'
Australia has suffered an almighty collapse in their final T20 World Cup warm-up match against India to leave the team pondering its form ahead of their opening game.
Despite the return to form from captain Aaron Finch, India took four wickets with the final four balls to record a thrilling six-run win in a T20 warm-up clash at the Gabba.
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Finch (76 off 54 balls) had not posted a score in four previous T20 internationals but he played an assortment of trademark thumps, flicks and classic cover drives to get among the runs ahead of Australia's T20 World Cup opener against New Zealand at the SCG on Saturday.
However the all too familiar batting collapse from the Aussies will have selectors pondering the batting line-up ahead of the opener.
Australia were 4-171 and needed 17 runs off two overs left.
The team was then bowled out for 180 in a stunning collapse that saw four wickets fall in the final four balls.
Former Aussie cricketer Tom Moody summed up the performance in commentary.
"Well, they've made a mess of this Australia," he said.
Fans also reacted to the shock collapse and questioned whether the selectors know Australia's best batting line-up.
Batting collapses... In recent past Australia are just collapsing in run chases.. if this don't happen, then no stopping them ✌🏻
— Ravi Teja (@tejaravipati18) October 17, 2022
This has been an unreal batting collapse from Australia
— j (@vuckingtoffee) October 17, 2022
Poor batting collapse from #australia batting lineup. #AUSvIND
— sreekar (@nyalkalkars27) October 17, 2022
Australia havent picked their best T20 team at all. They have a lot if issues esp with their bowling. If Hazlewood is your best death bowler although he has improved a lot shows their problems. Their batting is fine but Finch and Smith batting in middle is pretty strange strategy
— Zainab (@autumnfall098) October 17, 2022
Aaron Finch returns with huge innings before World Cup
One huge takeaway from the warm-up was the brilliant innings from captain Finch.
Australian paceman Kane Richardson said Finch was ready to fire at the World Cup after nonchalantly easing three deliveries over the leg-side boundary.
"When you see him pick the ball up straight and over cow (corner), that's his trademark," Richardson said.
"He was pretty close to (his best). This format of the game, he knows it so well."
With Australia cruising at 4-171, the 35-year-old opener was bowled in the penultimate over before Indian superstar Virat Kohli ran out Tim David with a direct hit to leave the hosts needing 11 runs off the final over to win.
Kohli took a stunning one-handed catch on the long-on boundary to get rid of Pat Cummins off Mohammed Shami (3-4 off one) from the third ball of the last over.
Ashton Agar was run out before Shami cleaned up Josh Inglis and Richardson with perfect yorkers in the only over he bowled after coming on as a substitute.
"(Kohli) was on another level in the field. They probably deserved to win it on the back of his fielding effort," Richardson said.
"It was a good game of cricket."
While a warm-up game and not an official international, both sides were aiming to get in a groove before the World Cup.
with AAP
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