Australia and India finished off their T20 World Cup preparations in a warm-up match at an empty Gabba ground in Brisbane, won by India by six runs in a contest that lacked much intensity until the frantic final stages. Australia looked set to win when Aaron Finch was chasing India’s 186-7, needing 16 runs required from 12 balls. But the captain’s dismissal for 76 presaged a passage of play that saw Australian wickets fall from each of the final four balls of the match, Australia finishing all out for 180.
The World Cup hosts won the toss and chose to bowl, picking Mitchell Starc and Patrick Cummins but leaving out Josh Hazlewood from the pace trio that will be first choice through the tournament proper. That gave Kane Richardson a final chance to press his case, using his changes of pace and length to finish with an innings-high 4-30. Ashton Agar played as the main spinner instead of Adam Zampa, but fared less impressively with 1-36.
