Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s HIGHLIGHTS of the third T20I between India and Australia happening in Hyderabad.
RECORD ALERT: India breaks Pakistan’s record for most T20I wins in a calendar year
A thrilling T20I game at Hyderabad and India has emerged victorious in a contest that swung wildly. Cameron Green kickstarted it all with a blistering knock up top and was supplemented by some lower order heavy lifting by Tim David and Daniel Sams.
India’s chase began on the wrong foot with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul falling early. Then, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli stitched together a memorable partnership, with the former catching the eye with some inventive, spectacular shots. Hardik Pandya applied the finishing touches and took India to another series win under Rohit Sharma with just a ball to spare.
11 runs needed of the last over and Kohli is on strike. Kohli nails the very first ball. SIX!!!! That should be it. Should it? TWIST IN THE TALE? Kohli tries to go over extra cover only for Finch to make a really good catch. Five needed from four and in walks Dinesh Karthik. He takes a single and Hardik swings at a wide one. No contact, no wide and 4 from 2 needed. Sams goes wide and Hardik flays at it. It goes past the keeper and the short third man and it is FOUR!!! AND INDIA WINS!!
Hazlewood goes for a yorker which ends up as a low full toss and Hardik shows his brute power by muscling it over long on for a SIX!!! Australia persists with its wide yorker strategy. Hazlewood draws two dot balls from Kohli. Kohli thumps one through off side and it looked destined for a four. But Maxwell dives and stops it from going for a boundary. BRILLIANT STOP!!!
Cummins with his last over. He goes wide and full and Hardik manages an edge and it flew to the fence. A welcome boundary for India. He follows it up with an inch-perfect wide yorker. An overthrow and a wide and a resultant bye give India a few bonus runs. A double to finish the over makes it a decent one for India.
Sams with the 17th over. Kohli drills it straight back into Sams. He was quick to react and stops it. The left hander bowls a spectacular over under the circumstances. He keeps it away from the hitting arc of both batters and concedes just seven.
Green with his third over. India is well positioned in this chase, with Karthik and Axar left to come in. Hardik is taken aback by a Green bouncer. Nearly top edges a catch. Kohli pulls one to mid wicket and gets to his fifty. The crowd rises in applause. Green’s immaculate game continues as Indian batters fails to put him away again.
Hardik Pandya is the new batter to the crease. Kohli gets a full one from Cummins and he launches it straight batted over the long on fence for a SIX!! That should keep the momentum going.
Hazlewood continues and Suryakumar flogs him over mid on for a four. He then steps into the line of the ball and flashes it over the square leg boundary for ANOTHER SIX!!! Kohli has resigned himself to the background amidst this masterclass from SKY. Suryakumar tries to clear long off, but Finch was calm and well positioned. End of another gem of an innings from this man
Suryakumar Yadav c Finch b Green 69 (36b)
Zampa is reintroduced. Kohli almost chops a long hop on to his stumps. Suryakumar had enough of the dot balls and slams Zampa for TWO SIXES to two different parts of the ground. While the second one was a conventional inside out shit, the first was SKY at his innovative best. He stepped out and whiplashed a mini helicopter shot to get it over the midwicket fence. Absolute carnage from Suryakumar.
Cameron Green comes in. He has had a good day out on the ground today. A fiery knock with the bat and a good first over. He almost had it all when he forced a top edge from Kohli. But it lands, painfully, in no man’s land. But, still an incredibly good over from Green, just four runs from it.
Kohli and Suryakumar are matching each other shot for shot. The means have varied, but the results have been more or less the same. Suryakumar has been innovative as usual, while Kohli has stuck to his standard repertoire of shots. Cummins is the next to come up against the duo. He was unscathed till the last ball, when Suryakumar decided to LAUNCH him into the stands to the leg side. That was shot of a man brimming with confidence.
Daniel Sams is brought back in. Kohli seems pumped up pushing SKY for doubles consistently. Suryakumar is testing the limits of his shot-making skills. Takes a step forward and lobs it inside out for a MASSIVE SIX!!! Shot of the day.
Kohli steps down to Zampa and thunders one straight back for a SIX!! Are we in for a Kohli special today? Suryakumar joins in with a cut shot for four. These two are building up momentum.
Maxwell is introduced and he offers width and Suryakumar cuts him for his second four of the innings. He targets the leg side now. Goes on to his knee and slog sweeps it for a FOUR!!
Adam Zampa gets his second over. Kohli slams one straight back and the ball spills out of Zampa’s hands. A half chance there.
Last over of the powerplay and it is from Hazlewood. A wild swing and miss from Kohli. Uncharacteristic. Kohli finally nails what he was looking for. He picked the length early and thumped it into the stands. Authoritative. He chooses to go over the covers this time. Full length and he lofts it for a FOUR!! Takes a single last ball and brings up the 50 for India.
Kohli threads the off side with another cover drive. FOUR!! This time it is against Cameron Green. Green responds with an almost unplayable delivery, that had some serious bounce in it too.
Cummins gets his first over. Rohit top edges his first delivery, but luckily for him, it lands safely and dribbles away for a four. LUCKY!! Rohit steps out and attempts a pull shot and this time he is not lucky. Daniel Sams was perfectly positioned and completes a comfortable catch. THE SKIPPER IS GONE!!! Suryakumar comes in a slams one over cover for a four to start his innings
Zampa is the first change and Kohli greets him by creaming him through the cover for a FOUR!! Rohit edges one and it goes past the keeper for a FOUR!!
Hazlewood is in control of the new ball. He swings and swerves it the first few balls, but messes the line once and it clinks Rohit’s pad and rolls away for a four. Rohit tries to go for a paddle shot, but couldn’t connect. He then goes for a more conventional pull shot and launches it into the leg side fence. SIX!!
Sams misses the line and Wade had to dive full length to save it from going for a four. A few quick singles and Sams forces a miscue from KL Rahul. He skies one and Wade takes the call to catch and he completes it. India loses its first.
KL Rahul c †Wade b Sams 1 (4b)
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul walk in. Daniel Sams to open the bowling for Australia.
Australia ends at 186/7 and it has been a game of many phases. The Aussies began in rollicking fashion thanks to Cameron Green. India soon reined the game in with some smart accurate bowling. But some late heroics from Tim David and Daniel Sams meant the visitors put on a more than competitive total. Axar Patel was the star of the show for India. His 3/33 and the vital run out of Maxwell he effected were vital for India. Chahal also was at his containing best.
And now India has a formidable enough target of 187.
Harshal to bowl the last over. He gifts David a full toss and he accepts it thankfully and smashes it for a six. That is also his FIFTY. He declines a single next ball, only to mishit and offer a catch to Rohit. End of a hugely impactful innings from the big man. Harshal recovers from that early mistake and reels in a few good balls to salvage the last over.
Sams too gets into the act. He goes after Bumrah and it is over long on and it is a six too. More calamity for India as Hardik’s throw from long off and it is an over throw for a four. Australia have regained its position in the game thanks to the rear guard act from David and Sams. Sams shows his confidence by paddling a four to fine leg.
Bhuvi is back ater the powerplay. Virat Kohli uses his football skills to great use and saves a near certain boundary. Bhuvi too strikes the yorker zone. He misses the length slightly and David thundered it straight back for a SIX!! Pure muscle from David. Bhuvi over compensates and it is a low full toss and Davis dispatches him for a six down the leg side. Bhuvi goes for length and David slams his into mid wicket fence for a FOUR!! The game’s tempo has shifted.
Rohit brings Bumrah back in. He delivers with a tight and tidy over. Just six runs of the over and Bumrah almost consistently hit his favourite yorker length.
Hardik begins the 16th with three dot balls. The pressure is mounting on the Aussies. Sams eases it a little. He goes for a scoop shot, but edges it straight over Karthik for a SIX!! David shows his finesse with a cut shot that splashes away for a FOUR!! Good over for Australia.
This has been a remarkable come back from India. When Green fell in the fifth over, Australia were already beyond 60. And now, here we are. Sams tries to go after Chahal, but could only slice it into the outfield for a double.
Axar comes back in and strikes the very first ball. His purple patch continues. Josh Inglis was cramped up and he could only scoop it to Rohit at point. Danger man Mathew Wade walks in and he too falls prey to Axar Patel and his magic left arm. Wade can only tap it back for a return catch as Axar dove full-length to gather it. THIRD WICKET FOR AXAR PATEL.
Josh Inglis c Sharma b AR Patel 24 (22b)
Matthew Wade c & b AR Patel 1 (3b)
Harshal Patel gets his first over and David goes after him. Mistimes a lofted shot, but still, it flies beyond the boundary. He then adds to his own misery by giving away a no-ball and a free hit. He redeems himself with an off-cutter that yields only a leg bye in the free hit.
Chahal is onto his third over. He has slowed down his balls dramatically, extracting prodigious spin from the track. Inglish steps away from the stumps and slams the last ball through the off side pack for a FOUR to release the pressure.
Bumrah surprises Inglis with some bounce. But he gets an edge and it flies away for a FOUR!! The run rate has come down significantly from the time Green was going bonkers.
Chahal continues. He loops up a wrong’un and Smith jumps out, only to get beaten and DK completes the stumping. NEXT WICKET for India and out walks Tim David. He gets beaten by a beauty from Chahal.
Hardik motors on from the other end. Inglis gets on top of a length delivery down the off side and puts it past point for a FOUR! But he gets a few dot balls in the over to compensate.
Chahal gets his first over. He bowls his leggies flat and fast. Maxwell tries to sneak in a double down the leg side. But Karthik’s gloves had broken the stumps before the Axar’s direct hit could. But the third umpire notices that the second bail was intact and spots Maxwell out of ground. RUN OUT!! These wickets have opened the door slightly for India to get back into this game.
Glenn Maxwell run out (AR Patel) 6 (11b)
Hardik comes in and Steve Smith welcomes him with an elegant off drive. FOUR!! Hardik goes a tad short on the off and Smith slashes at it. DROPPED!! Axar couldn’t hold on to that sharp chance. Just five runs from that over.
Axar continues and Maxwell is the new batter. India pulling back on the reins of the game after Green nearly ran away with it. Axar keeps Maxwell quiet for five balls, but the Australian capitalised on a loose short one to get a four.
Bhuvi is back on. Cameron Green, who is lashing out at everything, gets to 50 of 19 balls. Green swipes at a wide one and almost edges it to short third man. Another edge, this time it is within the grasp of KL Rahul, who gathers it safely. OUT!!! End of a berserk innings.
Cameron Green c Rahul b Kumar 52 (21b)
Axar continues and now it is Finch who gets a boundary. But the left armer is soon rewarded as he prods a false shot from Finch and Hardik Pandya comes under it to get a clean catch. OUT!!! It hasn’t stopped Green though. He goes down on his knee and slaps it for a four. Now he chooses to cut it and the fielders are just spectators. He lofts one over mid on for a THIRD CONSECUTIVE FOUR!!!
Aaron Finch c Pandya b AR Patel 7 (6b)
Bumrah is into the attack. And Green shows no respite. Wild swing and it pierces the leg side for a FOUR. He then launches a full length ball from Bumrah into the Hyderabad sky and it is into second tier. He wants more and gets more. A pull shot and it is another SIX!!!
Axar Patel is thrown in against Cameron Green and he gets whacked through covers for a FOUR. Green’s aggressive approach has helped Australia to a rapid start. He then slashes one which flies over point. ANOTHER FOUR!! He follows it with a swing and miss which narrowly evade the stump. Axar is has his head on his hand. CLOSE.
Cameroon Green goes bang right from the start. Skies the first one for a double and smacks it straight into the stands second ball. SIX!! Then he creams a length ball through covers for a FOUR!! Green has only one plan in his mind and it is to attack. He swings and misses the next three balls.
Bhuvneshwar with the new ball. Aaron Finch and Cameron Green to open, with the latter taking the strike.
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PLAYING 11s
India wins the toss and elects to bowl first. Rishabh Pant makes way for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The Indian team has hit the ground running with R Ashwin being the first to roll his arms over. Deepak Chahar is stretching and the crowd is on its feet with Virat Kohli sprinting into the field. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is cranking up it up on the other side of the wicket. Bumrah and Harshal are making their run-ups and it’s almost full house in Uppal. The team environment is relaxed with almost all players out in the field. Virat Kohli is displaying his football skills along with Chahal and Pant.
The Australian Team is out in the middle and is going through its paces with skipper Aaron Finch inspecting the track. Loud cheers around the ground for Indian Coach Rahul Dravid as he walks out to the middle.
The sun is beating down and it’s hot at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The pitch looks bone dry and not a hint of grass on the surface. It might be a high scoring thriller and India has arrived in the stadium. The crowd is slowly trickling in and the security at the stadium is foolproof.
PREVIEW
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is decked up for a blockbuster decider when Rohit Sharma’s men will take on Aaron Finch’s Australia in the final T20I match on Sunday.
The last time India played in this venue was in 2019 when then skipper Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 94 in a high-scoring thriller to beat West Indies by six wickets. And Rohit Sharma will hope his troops produce a cricketing display of defiance and beauty to humble the mighty Australians.
In the series-levelling win on Friday, Rohit Sharma was at his belligerent best, exhibiting his six-hitting prowess as India won by six wickets in an eight-over contest that was reduced due to rain. A target of 91 was chased down with four balls as India bounced back from a fatal loss in Mohali.
The showstopper was the Indian captain as Rohit paced the chase perfectly, dropped anchor when Adam Zampa sneaked out three crucial wickets and then picked up the momentum with Dinesh Karthik essaying into the finisher’s role at ease.
KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have looked solid with good knocks under their belts and will aim to fire on all cylinders in a must-win encounter. Virat Kohli is fresh on the back of an exuberant T20I century and although his knocks haven’t been impactful in this series, the modern master’s presence will give the team much batting depth and experience.
Bumrah Returns
India was bolstered with Bumrah’s return as the team ticked most of the boxes with the likes of Axar Patel and Karthik playing their roles to perfection. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was torn apart in the first T20I as he leaked 52 runs in his quota of four overs and while Umesh Yadav made way for Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar was omitted from the playing XI with India beefing its batting with Rishabh Pant in the second T20I.
There was a lot of debate around Dinesh Karthik being preferred over Rishabh Pant but the team management hasn’t given any indication of who their preferred choice is. However, in the final T20I, Rohit might not tinker with the Playing XI that took the field in Nagpur, which means both the wicket-keepers will be in the eleven.
Green, Wade pose a serious threat
From Australia’s point of view, the form of Cameron Green and Matthew Wade has been its biggest takeaway. While Green played an outstanding knock during the opener in a tall chase of 209 in Mohali, Wade displayed his batting pyrotechnics in Nagpur.
An unbeaten 43 off 20 deliveries in the rain-curtailed second T20I match where the Australian dismantled Harshal in the final over, gave a glimpse of the finishing kick that the wicketkeeper-batsman brings to the table. The form of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell has been under the spotlight and it will be interesting to see how Finch helps the duo iron out their form issues.
While Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins continue to lead the bowling attack, Nathan Ellis stood out in the first T20I with a three-wicket haul and Zampa showed his prowess by spinning a web in Nagpur.
BY VS ARAVIND
IND vs AUS PREDICTED PLAYING XI
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia: Aaron Finch, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
IND vs AUS 3rd T20I DREAM11 FANTASY TEAM PREDICTION
Wicketkeeper: Matthew Wade
Batters: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tim David
All-rounders: Glenn Maxwell, Hardik Pandya, Cameron Green, Axar Patel
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
Team Composition: IND 6:5 AUS | Credits Left: 14.0
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