Highlights
- India won the toss and opted to bowl.
- Green (52) was on the offensive from the start.
- Chasing 187, India lost Rohit and Rahul early.
Led by Suryakumar Yadav's 69 off 36 deliveries and Virat Kohli's magnificent fifty, the Men in Blue outjumped the Kangaroos to chase 187 in the 3rd T20I and win the series 2-1.
India won the toss and opted to bowl. Invited to bat, Green (52) was on the offensive from the start. He smashed the second delivery to square leg for a massive six, which was followed by a boundary as Australia collected 12 off the first over.
Green continued the onslaught, smashing Bumrah for a four before hitting back-to-back sixes, including one that went to the second tier much to the dismay of the partisan crowd.
Also Read: After Cameron Green's 50 off 19 balls; here's list of fastest T20I 50s for Australia
With Australia going over 13 runs per over, Axar provided the home side with the first breakthrough as he bowled a slower one, forcing Aaron Finch (7) to mistime the shot with Hardik Pandya collecting the ball at mid-on.
Green brought his 50 in 19 balls in the fifth over, his innings studded with seven fours and three sixes.
But the opener was soon sent packing by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/39), who bowled slightly wide only for the Australian to slash the ball to KL Rahul.
Australia plundered 66 runs for the loss of two wickets from the Powerplay. But Glenn Maxwell's (6) woeful run continued as Axar executed a brilliant run out with a direct hit from the boundary.
There was some doubt whether it was a run-out as wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik's glove had knocked out one bail but in the end, the decision went in India's favour.
Just before the halfway mark, Karthik stumped Smith (8) who was deceived by Chahal's wrong 'un as the Australian innings seemed to fall apart.
But Josh Inglis (24) and David steadied the Australian innings as the visitors made a comeback. Skipper Rohit Sharma introduced Harshal Patel (1/18) in the 13th over but his struggles continued.
The medium pacer was first hit for six, which was followed by a no-ball and a wide. Rohit then brought Axar back into the attack and the left-armer immediately repaid the skipper's faith by getting rid of Inglis and danger-man Matthew Wade.
The strapping David slammed two consecutive sixes and a four off Bhuvneshwar, who missed his length in the 18th over. It rained boundaries and sixes towards the end as Australia crossed the 180-run mark.
Chasing 187, India lost Rohit and Rahul early. Suryakumar Yadav and Kohli though took on the Australian bowlers and smacked half-centuries. Suryakumar Yadav in particular was ultra-aggressive and scored 69 off just 36 deliveries.
Kohli held one end up and reached his fifty in 37 balls. India needed 32 off the last 18 deliveries. Pandya struck a boundary in the third last over and coupled with some singles, the equation came down to 21 off 12 deliveries.
Hardik struck a six off the first ball of the penultimate over and that brought the equation down considerably. The equation came down to 11 needed off the last six deliveries, and Kohli came into his own to hit a maximum off the very first ball. He fell on the very next ball, but Hardik made sure he took the team over the line, and the men in blue eventually won the match by six wickets.
Anyways, it was a superb advertisement for T20 cricket. The match swung like a pendulum, but it was Kohli, SKY, and Hardik in the end who help their nerves till the very end and won the game for their team.
India will next face South Africa in the 1st match of the 3-match T20 series on Wednesday.
