Bengaluru, Dec 3: Shreyas Iyer (53) scored his eighth half-century and Mukesh Kumar took three wickets as India defeated Australia by six runs to win the fifth and final T20I by and take the series 4-1.
With Australia needing 10 runs to win off last six deliveries, Arshdeep Singh (2/38) produced a terrific final over including the key wicket of the dangerous Matthew Wade (22 off 15 balls, 4x4s) to help India end victorious.
Chasing 161 to win, Australia managed 154/8 in 20 overs with Kumar returning 4-0-32-3 and leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi producing a fine 4-0-29-2.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel also produced an all-round show, taking 1/14 from his four overs after making a vital 31 with the bat.
For Australia, Ben McDermott hit 54 off 36 balls and Travis Head made 28 in just 15 balls.
Brief scores:
India 160/8 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 53, Jitesh Sharma 24, Axar Patel 31; Jason Behrendorff 2/38, Ben Dwarshuis 2/30)
Australia 154/8 in 20 overs (Ben McDermott 54; Mukesh Kumar 3/32, Ravi Bishnoi 2/29) by 6 runs.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Criticising the caste census report tabled before the Karnataka Cabinet, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday questioned whether it was a caste census or a census of hatred.
In a statement, Kumaraswamy, who holds steel and heavy industries portfolio, sought to know the population of Vokkaliga, the dominant agrarian community, which he belongs to.
“What is it really — a caste census or a census of hate? Is this so-called census a conspiracy designed to deliberately provoke unrest in the state? Or is it merely a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the embarrassment caused by relentless price hikes and a series of corruption scandals?” the Minister questioned.
He further said, “If the entire state ends up engulfed in the flames of caste divisions, is this move by the Congress government in Karnataka a premeditated attempt to politically and socially marginalize certain communities?”
Expressing concerns over the leaked caste census report, Kumaraswamy said the ‘so-called statistics’ from this report are now floating everywhere. Some unknown hand has systematically leaked them into the public domain, he alleged.
The Minister sought to the know the actual population of the Vokkaliga community residing across the Old Mysuru region such as Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Chitradurga.
He also took a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for taking a U-turn on the caste census, despite having previously opposed it.
“Sleepless in his pursuit of the Chief Minister’s chair, he (Shivakumar) once begged the community saying, ‘Just give me a pen and paper once!’ And now, is that same man bowing his head and endorsing the Siddha Conspiracy Report?" Kumaraswamy said.
Siddha is apparently referred to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“I do not support this report. I am fully prepared to fight against this injustice,” the Minister added.
The Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, caste census in short, was presented before the Karnataka cabinet on April 11.
The report was commissioned by Siddaramaiah during his first term as Chief Minister in 2015. H Kantharaj had initially started the work which was carried forward by former Minister K Jayaprakash. The report was submitted to the Chief Minister in February 2024.
The Chief Minister said there would be a detailed discussion on the report in a special cabinet meeting on April 17.