Matthew Wade

Joe Burns and Australia chased down the 90-run target with ease on Saturday after India were humiliated for their lowest ever Test score of 36 following a jaw-dropping collapse in the day-night showdown on Saturday.

Virat Kohli's India resumed on 9-1 on day three of the Adelaide Test, but the visitors sensationally capitulated as Australia's merciless pace attack produced a relentless showing with the pink ball.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were the chief destroyers – the star pair finished 5-8 and 4-21 respectively.

Hazlewood – whose figures represented the most economical five-for by an Australia player in 73 years – celebrated his 200th Test wicket, while Cummins brought up his 150th dismissal to become the equal-third quickest Australian to reach the figure in terms of innings bowled (59).

India remarkably crumbled in just 15.2 overs to record their lowest Test score after Mohammed Shami retired hurt (one), the tourists' total lower than the country's previous record of 42 against England in 1974.

None of India's batsmen reached double figures – Mayank Agarwal the top scorer with nine, while captain Kohli was sent packing by Cummins for just four in a jaw-dropping display. It was the first time ever not a single player in the top six of a Test side reached double digits.

It was also the joint fifth-lowest Test score – behind New Zealand's all-time record of 26 set in 1955, while it is the joint-lowest team total in the format on Australian soil after South Africa's performance against Australia in 1932.

Australia made light work of the score put forward by India, only dropping two wickets to clinch the first of four Test matches against India.

Joe Burns – under pressure heading into the opener due to his poor form – stepped up with an unbeaten half-century from 63 deliveries to lead the Australians to victory after hitting a six to bring up his fifty and the team's win.

Matthew Wade was run out by Wriddhiman Saha for 33, while Marnus Labuschagne (six) was caught by Agarwal after skying a Ravichandran Ashwin (1-16) delivery, but it mattered little.

Matthew Wade will captain Australia in place of Aaron Finch, who is to undergo surgery on a knee injury, while Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis are also not part of the touring squad.

Pat Cummins is another notable absentee, though the visitors still boast a strong bowling attack that is set to be led by Mitchell Starc, who is on the brink of becoming his country's all-time leading wicket-taker in the shortest format.

The left-arm paceman has 48 wickets to his name, putting him in a tie for top spot on Australia's list alongside former team-mate Shane Watson.

Set to keep wicket as well as lead the team, Wade – likely to bat in the middle order, a role he seems likely to fill for the T20 World Cup later this year – understands the issues that come with taking on a dual role.

"I'm obviously wicketkeeping, so the distance between the bowler and myself is a lot greater and that means there's a lot more responsibility on the individual," he told reporters.

"When you come in and take over from someone it's just about giving the ability for those guys to really take ownership of their game and at the top of the mark, they need to execute."

Bangladesh have some key figures missing too, including injured opening batsman Tamim Iqbal. As for Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, they are not involved having failed to meet requirements for the bio-secure bubble agreed upon by the two respective cricket boards ahead of the series.

Mushfiqur left the recent tour of Zimbabwe early for family reasons amid the COVID-19 health crisis and could not make the July 20 cut-off date.

While they have lost all four previous T20I meetings between the countries, Bangladesh will recognise they are facing vulnerable opponents. Australia have lost each of their previous four series in Twenty20 cricket, a run that started after a 2-1 triumph over South Africa in February 2020.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, have won three of their last four men's T20Is played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, venue for all five matches.

Marsh makes an all-round impact

Mitchell Marsh excelled on the tour of the West Indies, finishing up as leading run-scorer in the T20 games (219 at an average of 43.80). However, his work with the ball was just as impressive in the Caribbean, claiming eight wickets while going at an economy rate of 6.76 runs per over. 

The 29-year-old all-rounder has a bowling average of 10.1 in T20Is since the beginning of 2019, the best by any player from a Test-playing country in that time (minimum 10 overs bowled).

Star Shakib needs to shine

Bangladesh's batting line-up is weakened by the absences of Tamim, Mushfiqur and Das, meaning even greater responsibility could land on the shoulders of Shakib Al Hasan.

The all-rounder is on the cusp of becoming the first player to record 10 scores of 50 or more for Bangladesh in T20I action. His batting average in the format against Australia (35.8) is his second best against any team, only managing better against Pakistan (41.7).

Key series facts

- Australia's 4-0 record against Bangladesh in T20I action is the most number of games they have played against any country without suffering defeat.

- Bangladesh will be aiming to win back-to-back multi-game T20I series for the first time, after defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in July 2021.

- Australia have won only one of their last T20Is (L5), a four-run victory over West Indies in July 2021.

- Bangladesh have scored 52 per cent of their runs from boundaries in T20Is since the beginning of 2019, the second lowest rate of any Test-playing country in that time (Sri Lanka: 45 per cent).

- Australia have a bowling dot ball percentage of 37 per cent in T20I fixtures since the beginning of 2019, the highest rate of any Test-playing country in that time and two percentage points higher than Bangladesh (35 per cent).

West Indies have only themselves to blame, dropping two catches in the final over bowled by Sheldon Cottrell and that proved costly in the end.

Chasing 146 for victory, Australia owed their victory to Aaron Finch (58) and Matthew Wade (39*) whose sixth-wicket partnership turned the match in favour of the hosts who had lost half their wickets early.

The pair came together with Australia struggling after Sheldon Cottell’s two wickets and one each from Yannic Cariah, Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph had reduced the hosts were 58-5 after eight overs.

They eventually repelled the West Indies attack with a 69-run partnership that for a while took the match away from the tourists. The match swung significantly in Australia’s favour when Sheldon Cottrell, who had earlier removed David Warner and Mitchell Marsh in his first over, leaked 18 runs in his third over, the 12^th of the Australian innings.

Bowling his final over, Joseph broke the stand when he dismissed Finch for 58 with the score at 127 with Australia needing just 19 from 17 balls.

The Antiguan conceded only four runs from that over to finish with the impressive figures of 2-17.

Odean Smith bowled Cummins for four to leave Australia needing 11 from the final over.

Cottrell gave up a four to Wade off the first ball setting the stage for Australia to achieve the target but with a lot of help from the West Indies.

Wade escaped the second ball when Reifer dropped him in the deep and square of the wicket which resulted in Australia getting two runs.

The hosts needed four runs from three balls when Mayers dropped Starc from Cottrell’s fourth and Australia took two more runs.

Starc got two from the Cottrell’s fifth to get Australia over the line with a ball to spare.

Cottrell finished with 2-49 while Smith bowled well to end with 1-19.

Earlier, Kyle Mayers scored 39 at the top of the order and Odean Smith 27 at the end as the West Indies posted 145-9 from their 20 overs. Brandon King (13) and Raymon Reifer (19) each got starts but the West Indies lost wickets regularly and were unable to get any momentum during their innings.

Josh Hazelwood was the best of the Australian bowlers with 3-35. Pat Cummins 2-22 and Mitchell Starc 2-40 were solid in support.

Renshaw tipped a big hit from Matthew Wade in the air before jumping from behind the boundary to palm the ball up for Tom Banton to take the catch.

There was a shrug of the shoulders from Renshaw, but Wade had to depart for 61 in his first match of the tournament and the Hurricanes went on to post only 126-9 at The Gabba -  Josh Lalor taking 3-21.

Scott Boland claimed 3-16 to give the Hurricanes hope, yet they were comfortably beaten as Cutting made 43 not out and Jimmy Peirson an unbeaten 23 to seal victory for the Heat with 10 balls to spare.

Darren Lehmann's side are up to third after three consecutive victories, two of which have come against Hobart.

WADE DISMISSAL CAUSES A STIR

Renshaw showed great athleticism and quick thinking to set up a simple grab for Banton, but Wade's dismissal sparked a debate over the rules.

A tweet from the official Lord's and MCC account cleared up any doubts, stating: "The key moment is when he first touches the ball, which is inside the boundary. He's airborne for his second contact."

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham was among those to call for a rule change and Wade would no doubt agree, having been sent on his way after clearing the rope twice in his first knock of the competition.

BRISBANE FEELING THE HEAT AFTER BOLAND BURST

It was very much game on after the Heat lost four wickets for only 19 runs.

Boland got rid of Max Bryant for 28 and collected a further two wickets in three balls when he had Renshaw caught behind before snaring Joe Burns later in the ninth over.

The Hurricanes were given another major lift when Chris Lynn was run out following a mix-up with Peirson, reducing the Heat to 71-5 in the 11th over.

BRISBANE CUT TO THE CHASE

Hobart were made to pay for a lack of runs, though, as Cutting and Peirson completed a successful run chase.

Cutting's best knock of the tournament and a measured innings from Peirson got Brisbane home - the pair putting on 60 for the sixth wicket.

The powerful Cutting - who also took three catches - was dropped by David Miller but the damage had already been done at that stage and he struck Thomas Rogers for a third six to end that match in emphatic fashion.

Australia, without David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Aaron Finch, posted 194-5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tourists, who won Friday's series opener by 11 runs, initially struggled to chase down their target but Hardik Pandya inspired them to a thrilling victory.

Australia were put in to bat first and Matthew Wade, named skipper in Finch's absence, made steady progress by hitting a swift half-century.

But Wade was sent packing in comical fashion after Virat Kohli dropped a catch before redeeming himself by running out his counterpart for 58.

D'Arcy Short (9) and Glenn Maxwell (22) were caught by Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar respectively either side of Wade's exit as Australia looked for some momentum.

Steve Smith fell just short of a half-century, managing 46 runs from 38 balls before being caught by Pandya, while Moises Henriques was caught behind soon after for 26.

India were set a target of 195 after Marcus Stoinis put 16 more runs on the board and they looked to have given themselves too much to do.

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan scored 30 and 52 respectively, both men being taken by Mitchell Swepson, before Sanju Samson slapped straight to Smith at long-off.

Pandya's impressive batting got India, who required 72 runs off 36 balls on one point, back on track with his three fours and two sixes, either side of Kohli's departure for 40.

Joined at the crease by Iyer (12 not out) for a gripping conclusion, Pandya finished with an unbeaten 22-ball 42 to get his side over the line for a series victory with two balls to spare.

The final game of the three-match series takes place in Sydney on Tuesday, before a four-Test series starts on 17 December in Adelaide.

Buoyed by solid efforts of 66 and 56 in his previous two outings, Wade found an entirely new level on Sunday, toying with the Strikers bowlers as he hit an unbeaten 130 off 61 balls, a career-best T20 score.

Wade's previous best in the shorter format was 88, but he went well beyond that in a team total of 217-1, setting Adelaide a daunting victory target.

The Strikers came up short, finishing eight wickets down.

The result means the Hurricanes will play the Eliminator against either Sydney Thunder or Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League finals, while Adelaide must face the winner of that contest after missing out on the chance to finish second.

UNTOUCHABLE WADE DAZZLES

Wade produced an innings for the ages at the Adelaide Oval.

In total, he hit 11 fours and seven sixes from 61 balls of pure mastery, as the 32-year-old left the Strikers looking clueless, particularly when knocking three successive boundaries off Wes Agar in the 17th over.

It was Wade's maiden T20 century, and the second-highest innings in Big Bash history, only trailing Marcus Stoinis' stunning unbeaten 147 from earlier this month.

As impressive as Wade was, he did not do it all alone – on another day D'Arcy Short might have been the man of the moment with his applaudable 72, as the pair's 203 partnership was only four adrift of the Big Bash record.

Their stand almost lasted the entire innings, but Short eventually fell in the penultimate over taken at long-on after not quite getting enough on Michael Neser's delivery, allowing Phil Salt to catch.

STRIKERS JUST FALL SHORT

Although the Hurricanes set a hefty total to chase, the Strikers seemed to be on track until the seventh over, with Salt and Travis Head posting a solid 79-run partnership following the early fall of Jake Weatherald in the second over – Macalister Wright taking the catch from Clive Rose's delivery.

The Strikers certainly piled the pressure on towards the end, with Alex Carey (39) and Jonathan Wells (15) hitting five boundaries between them in seven balls across the 15th and 16th overs.

But the commendable death skills of James Faulkner (1-35) and Nathan Ellis (2-36) upset the Strikers' flow, toppling Rashid Khan (eight), Carey (39), Matthew Short (six) and Neser (nine) in the final three overs.

Burns, 31, has been in dreadful form since the Sheffield Shield season started in October.

The right-hander scored 57 runs in five innings for Queensland before making five runs in four innings for Australia A in tour matches against India.

But with David Warner (adductor) and Will Pucovski (concussion) unavailable, Burns will reportedly play in the first Test starting in Adelaide on Thursday, with Matthew Wade to join him in opening.

Australia captain Paine backed Burns, who averages 38.3 in 21 Tests.

"Speaking to Joe, I don't think he is [lacking confidence], he's been looking forward to this Test match. Obviously, his build up in terms of runs hasn't been great," he told a news conference.

"But again, if you look at the work he's done solely in Test cricket for this team, it's been very good. He averages just over 40 I think in Test cricket. 

"If Joe walks out to bat tomorrow, we've got full confidence in him doing the job, there's no doubt about that. Obviously, there's always going to be a lot of noise externally about the first Test and what team we're picking. Internally we've been pretty clear for a while. 

"Things have changed a little bit with injury but as I said, I think tomorrow you'll see a pretty similar side walk out that finished the summer last year here in Australia."

Wade will reportedly open alongside Burns, and it would mark the first time he has done so in Test cricket.

Paine said Australia had plenty of options, including Wade – whose Test average if 31.3 in 32 matches.

"He [Wade] is certainly an option to open the batting, no doubt about that," Paine said. 

"I think we've got a number of guys who are willing to open the batting, but with 'Wadey' in particular, I think we saw last year against New Zealand in that short-ball stuff he's willing to put his body on the line for the team. 

"We know he's as tough as nails and we know he'll do a job no matter where he bats for us. Obviously, we have got a scenario where we could have a different opener.

"As I said, we've had a number of guys in this group put their hand up if that's the best thing for the team, which is a great thing for us as a side." 

Powell smashed six fours and four sixes in a 34-ball 64 that propelled Peshawar Zalmi to 197-5 from their 20 overs.

The final score was testament to a remarkable recovery after Mohammad Amir had dismissed Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam for ducks in the opening first over and Saim Ayub for one in his second to have Peshawar Zalmi reeling at 3-2 in the third over.

The repair work began with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Haseebullah Khan who counter-attacked with aplomb, the latter racing to an even 50 from just 29 balls from which he hit four fours and three sixes during their partnership of 82.

He was eventually dismissed by Tabraiz Shamsi, which brought Powell to the crease.

The Jamaican picked up from where Khan left off plundering the Karachi Kings bowling during a partnership of 85 from 51 balls before Amir had him caught behind in the 19^th over. By then Peshawar Zalmi has recovered to 169-5.

Aamer Jamal and Kohler-Cadmore added 28 from the last nine balls to what turned out to be the winning total. Kohler-Cadmore remained unbeaten on 56 while Jamal got his unbeaten 13 from just five balls.

Mohammad Amir was the pick of the bowlers taking 4-26.

The Karachi Kings made a proper go at the target with opener Matthew Wade scoring 53. However, they lost wickets regularly which slowed their momentum despite an unbeaten 57 from Imad Wasim, who clubbed 10 fours and a six in his 30-ball knock.

Azmatullah Omarzai and Jamal did the damage for Peshawar Zalmi with hauls of 3-28 and 3-43, respectively that ripped apart the Karachi Kings middle order.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman played his part dismissing Wade and Irfan Kkan to return figures of 2-28 as Karachi Kings ran out of balls at 173-8.

England need only a victory against Sri Lanka in Saturday's final Group 1 match to be sure of a place in the last four.

Hosts and defending champions Australia had been facing an uphill battle to improve their run rate ever since an 89-run thrashing at the hands of the Black Caps in their opener.

With their meeting with England rained off, the margin of victory in other matches was going to prove pivotal.

Although Australia survived a scare in beating Afghanistan by four runs, that tight affair left their net run rate at -0.173, below England's mark of +0.547, which will improve further with victory over Sri Lanka.

The home nation therefore need Sri Lanka to defeat England and keep them in the top two on seven points.

Stand-in Australia captain Matthew Wade said: "We'll stay the extra night here and watch that game. We'll be hoping for a little bit of an upset there, obviously.

"That's tournament play – we put ourselves in this situation straight from the get-go this time. Although we've been trying to chase a little bit of run rate, it just hasn't really gone our way.

"We've been a little bit slow getting out of the blocks in this tournament. Hopefully it doesn't cost us."

Glenn Maxwell struck a similar tone, saying: "We'll certainly be following it. We've obviously put ourselves in this situation, but hopefully Sri Lanka can do the job for us."

Although Maxwell scored an unbeaten 54 off 32 against Afghanistan, he added: "It was quite hard to press the issue.

"We probably got to about the 12-over mark, where we just had to put a total on the board to make sure we gave ourselves a chance of winning the game.

"Even though we were trying to go hard at the back end, they bowled extremely well."

If Sri Lanka can do Australia a huge favour, Wade is "very hopeful" skipper Aaron Finch and all-rounder Tim David will return for the semi-finals.

David was "really, really close" but failed a late fitness test on Friday, Wade added.

The wicketkeeper-batter returned a positive test on Wednesday evening, but only has minor symptoms.

Wade is set to feature at the MCG, provided his symptoms remain only minor, while spinner Adam Zampa is poised to play his first match of the tournament after he was sidelined by COVID-19.

Australia do not have a recognised back-up keeper in their squad after Josh Inglis suffered a hand injury prior to the tournament and was replaced by all-rounder Cameron Green.

Glenn Maxwell took the gloves in training on Thursday, but it would seem he will not be required to step in behind the stumps in a crucial Group 1 showdown.

The hosts are fifth in Group 1, two places behind England after they suffered a stunning five-run loss to Ireland by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rainy Melbourne on Wednesday.

Mohammed Rizwan (67) led the way before fireworks from Fakhar Zaman (55 not out) guided Pakistan to 176-4 from their 20-over allocation in Thursday's semi-final.

Australia were then teetering on the brink in response when Glenn Maxwell was dismissed, leaving Aaron Finch's side 96-5 after 12.2 overs and requiring a further 81 off 46 balls.

However, Wade (41 not out) – who finished with three straight sixes after being dropped by Ali in the penultimate over – and Marcus Stoinis (40 not out) edged Australia to victory to tee up a final with New Zealand.

The result came as somewhat of a surprise given Pakistan coasted through Group 2 with five wins from their five games to set up the semi-final with Australia, who nudged through Group 1 on net run rate.

After the game, Babar pinpointed the missed chance – in which Ali dropped Wade on the deep-midwicket boundary from Shaheen Afridi's bowling – as the defining moment in a contest of fine margins.

"When you give teams like Australia a chance, they take the match away from you," Babar said post-match. "If that catch that Hasan Ali dropped had been taken, maybe the result would have been different.

"As a player, you have to be on your toes and avail any opportunity you get. We made a mistake and it cost us the match."

Pakistan's dominant performance up until the knockout stages included a historic 10-wicket victory over India and a five-wicket win over New Zealand, who succeeded against England in Wednesday's semi-final.

Babar pointed to his team's prior performances as he expressed his pride in Pakistan's efforts, despite Australia's lower middle order once again stunning them as they did in the 2010 T20 World Cup semi-final.

"The way we played the tournament and gelled together as a team, I am very satisfied with my team's efforts as captain," he continued.

"We'll try and learn from our mistakes and come back stronger. When you play a big tournament so well, it's good but you have to perform on the day. You can't relax in any department.

"We'll try and continue our efforts; how we performed gave us confidence and we'll try and build on from that.

"The roles we had defined for everyone, they executed brilliantly, and you saw that from us on the field. The way the crowd supported us was very enjoyable. We always enjoy ourselves here and I'm thankful to the fans back home for supporting us."

Australia were set 177 to win after putting Pakistan in to bat in Thursday's second semi-final.

"I was actually hoping I'd lose the toss and try to bat first on that wicket," captain Finch said afterwards. "I thought it would be nice to put a total on the board in the semi-final."

The Australia skipper was delighted with how his decision panned out, though, as his team followed New Zealand's example against England and chased down a daunting target with an over to spare.

Finch's men looked to be in trouble when they were reduced to 96-5 in the 13th over, having lost the captain for a golden duck as Pakistan made a rapid start.

But Australia have dangerous options right down their batting line-up and an unbroken partnership of 81 off just 41 deliveries between Wade (41) and Marcus Stoinis (40) stunned Pakistan.

"I thought we were actually pretty sloppy today. We dropped a couple of chances in the field, a couple of really, really tough ones, no doubt," Finch said.

"But I think it shows the depth of our team at the moment, which is really important. You need the support of all 17 players in your squad to get across the line. We played some really good cricket towards the back end."

Wade finished with three straight sixes immediately after being dropped by the hapless Hasan Ali, and he said: "When I got out there with Marcus, he was really confident we'd get them, even though I was a little unsure.

"He found the boundaries early on, and I was happy to chip in at the end. It got down to two a ball, and from there it was: if you got one in your arc, just try to hit it.

"It probably hasn't sunk in yet but I'm just happy I could contribute. I was out of the team a couple of years ago and I'm just glad I got an opportunity and repaid the faith."

New Zealand had stunned England in the first semi on Thursday, and Australia followed suit thanks to Matthew Wade's unbeaten 41 off 17, taking the match away from Pakistan just as they looked to be in the driving seat.

As in the encounter between the Black Caps and England, momentum swung back and forth in an epic at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Australia won the toss and decided to bowl, but David Warner and Adam Zampa each dropped early half-chances from Mohammad Rizwan, who capitalised to score 67 in building big partnerships with Babar Azam (39) and Fakhar Zaman (55 not out).

Zaman hit seven boundaries, including four sixes, off just 32 balls to ensure a big finish and a total of 176-4, and Pakistan were in the ascendancy as Shaheen Shah Afridi (1-35) then made a blistering start with the ball, removing Aaron Finch for a duck and seeing Mitchell Marsh survive only by umpire's call from the very next delivery.

But the depth of Australia's batting line-up kept them in with a shout as they were left with enough depth even after David Warner (49) fell to Shadab Khan (4-26).

A mammoth undefeated partnership of 81 off just 41 deliveries between Wade and Marcus Stoinis (40 no) got the job done, although it should have been halted by Hasan Ali, who dropped Wade off Afridi in the middle of the 19th over.

Wade's response was ruthless, sending the next three balls for six to complete an outstanding pursuit on 177-5 with six balls to spare.

Rizwan rockets to runs record

Babar – this stadium's leading T20I run scorer – already had four fifties at this tournament, a joint-record at a single T20 World Cup, and he looked on course for a new benchmark until Zampa intervened at the end of the 10th over.

Rather than slow Pakistan, though, that wicket set the stage for an innings-defining second-wicket stand from Rizwan and Zaman, who combined for 72 off 46, including 21 in the 17th over alone.

Zaman's big hitting caught the eye, but Rizwan's four sixes helped take him to 1,000 T20I runs in 2021. He is the first player to reach four figures in a single calendar year.

Hapless Hasan lets Wade win it

Shadab was a rare positive with the ball for Pakistan, becoming only the second bowler to take four wickets in a T20 World Cup semi or final after Ajantha Mendis' 4-12 in the 2012 decider. His bowling economy of 6.50 was far and away his side's best effort.

Even his other misfiring team-mates paled next to Hasan, who must have thought his evening could get no worse after giving up 11 runs an over after using his full quota.

But Hasan's attempts to make amends saw him make up good ground to get under a ball from Wade, only to run too far, let the chance slip through his hands and watch on in despair as the batsman took the tournament away from a previously unbeaten Pakistan side.

Needing a win to keep their slim hopes of a finals place alive, the Hurricanes were put into bat by their hosts at the Marvel Stadium in Tuesday's bottom-of-the-table clash.

But Hobart captain Wade immediately set about punishing the Renegades for that decision, smashing his way to 50 in just 22 deliveries before succumbing in the eighth over when he sliced to third man.

Wright, however, more than picked up the slack as the visitors kept up the pace, though Mohammad Nabi dismissed Jake Doran (4) before Cameron Boyce found the edge of David Miller's bat.

A full toss from Daniel Christian allowed Wright to surpass a half-century, with the batsman - ably supported by Ben McDermott (38) - finishing on 70 from 50 balls as the Renegades were set a target of 191.

Wade's Australia team-mate Marcus Harris had far less success as he went in the second over of Melbourne's innings, prior to the Renegades losing Sam Harper to a head injury.

Beau Webster (50) and Nabi (63) gave Melbourne hope with some huge shots late on but, with the home side requiring 12 to win from nine deliveries, the latter picked out Wright at deep midwicket after hitting two successive sixes.

Webster's mishit from a full toss dashed Melbourne's hopes further, with Nathan Ellis bouncing back from an expensive previous over to ensure the win.

HARPER BECOMES FIRST CONCUSSION SUB IN BBL

With Wade and Wright having done the business for the Hurricanes, the Renegades were dealt a huge blow when Harper was forced off in the fourth over.

The wicketkeeper - who suffered a severe concussion in a 2017 when Jake Lehmann accidentally struck him in the helmet with his bat - sustained a hefty blow to the head when he clattered into Ellis while scampering for a run.

Dr Trefor James and team physio Nick Adock were swiftly on the scene and, though Harper appeared to try and shake off their concerns, he was clearly unsteady on his feet and was subsequently taken off, with Tom Cooper his replacement.

Harper was then assessed in the changing rooms, before being taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

ELLIS HOLDS HIS NERVE

Nabi and Webster struck a combined 20 off of Ellis' penultimate over, taking the Renegades to within touching distance of victory.

But with Clive Rose having ended Nabi's impressive stand, Ellis regained his composure in a crucial final over, luring Webster into a poor shot before sealing the win with an exceptional dot ball under pressure on the fifth delivery.

It left the Renegades needing a six off the final ball to force a Super Over, but a fine yorker from Ellis ensured the win went to Hobart.

"What a finish, great finish from Nathan," player of the match Wright said. "It was a really good game."

Australia endured a batting collapse on Monday as India put themselves within touching distance of victory at the MCG.

The hosts were reduced to 133-6 at stumps on day three, with a lead of just two runs, after losing four wickets for just 28 runs in the evening session. 

However, there was some controversy over one of the dismissals, when Australia captain Tim Paine was judged to have been caught behind off Ravindra Jadeja.

Paul Reiffel's on-field decision of not out was overturned by third umpire Paul Wilson, who gave Paine the benefit of the doubt in a contentious run-out call in the first innings.

Paine was clearly frustrated, with the decision having been based on a Snicko spike and no evidence of an edge showing on Hot Spot.

Though that was the correct procedure, Wade has called for consistency, with Australia's review against Cheteshwar Pujara on day two – when there was no mark on Hot Spot and a minor spike on Snicko – not resulting in the India batsman being sent on his way.

"From what I've seen it looked pretty similar to the first ball of yesterday, the one we actually referred, I think it was off Pujara," Wade, who made 40, said in a news conference.

"So from all reports and what I've seen, Snicko showed a very similar thing, one was given out and one was not out.

"That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, but that's what it looked like from where we've been sitting and watching.

"I heard a noise on the Pujara one, I was at first slip at the time, and his bat was the only thing out there, and then we saw what you guys saw on the ground, which was a small spike. Either way if it was out or not out, consistency is all you want as a player."

Cameron Green (17 not out) and Pat Cummins (15 not out) saw Australia, who lead 1-0, through to stumps and Wade is hoping the pair can frustrate the tourists on day four.

"[India] bowled pretty well, pretty straight, made it hard for us to go out and score," he said. "But we've only got ourselves to blame.

"We'll take anything [in terms of a lead]. It'll be really nice for these two to get a nice partnership together – something we haven't done enough over this Test match. Anything over 100 would be good."

Wade, 33, came under fire for several poor dismissals as Australia suffered a 2-1 series loss to an injury-hit India.

He finished the series with 173 runs at an average of 21.6 and was left out of the squad set to face South Africa, although the tour is subject to a final sign-off.

In what is a similar squad to the one that went down to India, Alex Carey was included with Wade omitted, while Tim Paine remains captain despite criticism.

"The squad is quite similar to that selected for the final two Tests of the recently-completed Border-Gavaskar series, with the exception of Matt Wade, who will join the Australian men's T20I squad in New Zealand, and the addition of Alex Carey, who has been in strong form with both bat and gloves," Australia national selector Trevor Hohns said.

"David Warner, Will Pucovski and Marcus Harris all opened at different stages against India and should be well-suited to the conditions in South Africa. Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith were in good form during the Australian summer and Travis Head has an opportunity to reclaim the number five spot.

"We've been very impressed with Cameron Green's first foray into Test cricket as an all-rounder batting at number six and we have great depth with the in-form Moises Henriques also in the squad.

"Tim Paine was excellent at number seven against India and as a batsman, wicketkeeper and captain still has much to offer in the Test arena.

"Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Swepson offer wonderful spin bowling options for South African conditions. Similarly, we like the skill, execution and variation offered by our pace corps of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Sean Abbott and Mark Steketee."

Wade was named in an 18-man T20 squad set to face New Zealand in five matches, beginning on February 22.

Australia Test squad for tour of South Africa: Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

Australia T20 squad for tour of New Zealand: Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, D’Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

Virat Kohli made 85 from 61 deliveries but India still came up short in reply to the home side's total of 186-5, which was aided by a plethora of mistakes by the tourists in the field. 

Opener Matthew Wade helped Australia post such an imposing target, the left-hander making 80 from just 53 deliveries – his highest score in the shortest format at international level. 

Glenn Maxwell contributed an entertaining 54 after twice being given reprieves; he was firstly dismissed off a no ball from Yuzvendra Chahal on 19, then dropped by Deepak Chahar when he had 38 to his name. 

Maxwell made the most of the opportunities to add 90 runs for the third wicket in partnership with Wade, who was eventually trapped lbw by Shardul Thakur in the 19th over. 

India lost KL Rahul to the second ball of their reply before managing a run and while Shikhar Dhawan (28) and captain Kohli put on 74 for the second wicket, the ever-rising run-rate left the visitors with too much to do in the closing stages. 

Having been inexplicably dropped by Steve Smith early on, Kohli's hopes of a first T20 hundred for his country disappeared when he fell to a smart catch in the deep by Daniel Sams off the bowling of Andrew Tye. 

However, it had been Australia's leg-spinners who were the stars with the ball, Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson combining for figures of 4-44 from seven overs. 

Thakur smashed two late sixes but an equation of 27 from the final six balls was always too much to ask from India's tail, their innings finishing on 174-7. 

The two teams will now switch their focus to Test cricket, as the four-match series gets under way with a day-night contest in Adelaide next week. 

India looked set for victory after setting a formidable target, rounded off by an unbeaten knock of 71 from Hardik Pandya.

But after Axar Patel (3-17) and Umesh Yadav (2-27) dealt with the Aussies' openers, Wade stepped up late on to earn the visitors their fourth consecutive win over India in the format.

India lost both skipper Rohit Sharma (11) and Virat Kohli (2) within the first five overs, but opener KL Rahul's half-century ensured they made decent progress thereafter.

Rahul – who received Rohit's backing as India's preferred opener ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup last week – brought up 55 by the 12th over before being caught by Nathan Ellis from Josh Hazlewood's delivery. 

Australia's hopes of limiting the hosts to a low score soon evaporated, however, as Hardik took over with a superb knock – which included 48 runs in the final four overs of the innings – to carry India to 208.

Visiting captain Aaron Finch (22) was then clean bowled by Axar in the left-hander's first over with the ball, but Cameron Green led a strong response, scoring 61 before Patel doubled up with Australia reaching 109-2.

The hosts appeared to be closing in on victory when Dinesh Karthik claimed catches to dismiss both Steve Smith (35) and Glenn Maxwell (1) off Umesh's bowling, but Wade had other ideas.

The 34-year-old scored 45 off 21 balls – recording a strike rate only bettered by Hardik on the day – to carry his side to victory, getting the T20 world champions off to a flyer in the three-match series.

Hardik hard done by

Hardik's effort looked likely to prove decisive for much of the contest, and he can certainly bear no responsibility for the hosts' defeat after his outstanding showing.

Only Yuvraj Singh (58 v England in 2007) and Kohli (54 v Afghanistan in 2022) have bettered his total of 48 runs in the final four overs of an innings for India.

World champions send home records tumbling

While Australia made it four in a row against India in the shortest format, they also dealt a rare blow to Rohit's side on home soil.

Ahead of Tuesday's defeat, India had won 13 of their last 15 home T20Is, with their only two losses coming against South Africa in June. 

Meanwhile, this is the first time they have suffered a T20I defeat at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, having won on all three of their previous outings there.

England hammered Australia by eight wickets with 50 balls to spare in the group stage of the T20 World Cup last year, but Aaron Finch's side went on to win the title for the first time.

Australia opted to go with a longer batting line-up after that crushing loss rather than pick five bowlers and reaped the rewards, beating New Zealand in the final.

The holders start the defence of their crown on home soil against the Black Caps at the SCG on October 22, but before then they take on an England side who are among the favourites to dethrone them.

Wicketkeeper-batter Wade feels the manner in which they were dismantled by England was a "turning point".

He said ahead of the opening match of the series at Perth Stadium: "They destroyed us in the World Cup. It was probably a turning point for the way we go about playing T20.

"We had to start to go a little bit harder, especially towards the top and then back end it with seven batters. We stuck to that formula after they destroyed us in the World Cup.

"So we're looking forward to playing them and see whether our game style [continues to work] – since then [it] has changed a little bit and hopefully we can go blow for blow with them.

"We've got seven batters now – we played six batters for a long time … but now we've got the power and we've got the depth of batting that I think you need to go with a team like England. You need to be able to score 200 to beat them on their day."

Captain Jos Buttler returns for a calf injury to lead England and Test skipper Ben Stokes is back after missing the 4-3 series win in Pakistan, but Liam Livingstone (ankle) remains sidelined.

England have won four of the past five T20Is between the two fierce rivals, but Australia have been victorious in seven of the last eight contests on home soil.

Smith in the spotlight

Australia completed a 2-0 whitewash of West Indies at The Gabba on Friday, but Steve Smith missed out once again as he fell for 17.

The former captain has not scored a T20I half-century since November 2019 and could do with some runs against England.

With Tim David having staked his claim for a place in the side and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis returning, Smith is in the spotlight.

Hales and Salt battling for opening berth

The return of Buttler at the top of the order means England will have to choose between Alex Hales and Phil Salt for the other opening spot.

Hales made a half-century in his long-awaited England comeback in the first match of the series against Pakistan, but fell for under 20 on three occasions.

Salt blasted a stunning unbeaten 88 from 41 balls in the sixth T20I in Lahore, but it remains to be seen if he will retain his place.