3rd T20I, Sydney, December 08, 2020, 01:40 PM
Australia
186/5(20.0ov)
India
174/7(20.0ov)
Australia beat India by 12 runs
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Mitchell Swepson
Commentry
Right then, that caps off a thrilling white-ball leg of India's tour down under. What a fantastic 6 games we had - 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. The hosts won the former while the visitors clinched the latter. India would be happy that they managed to extract revenge in the second leg of the white ball series after losing the first leg. Right, off we move to the longest format of the game now, Tests. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy between these two dawns upon us in just a few more days. The 1st Test, the pink ball one, is at Adelaide. It begins on 17th December at 1430 Local (0400 GMT). We hope to have your company for that. Until then, take care and see you...
Hardik Pandya is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES. Says that he is quite pleased with the way he played. Honestly adds that it was not an individual effort but a team effort. Says that he thinks he should head back home to see his family and child. Wants to spend quality time with them he says, on being asked if he thinks he might be called for the Test team.
Virat Kohli, with the trophy in hand, for winning the T20I series 2-1, says that in T20Is, one has to take their chances. Eventually, Kohli states, the batters had too much to do in the end. Adds that he still believes the team was competitive throughout the series. Virat says that he feels very happy. Is great that they got to play in front of crowds. Believes the games were exciting as crowds were present. Because crowds are there, the atmosphere is different too. Says that Australia are a very competitive side and that India need to do a lot to come on top.
Aaron Finch, the WINNING CAPTAIN, starts off by saying it is very good to be back and to be back with a win. Adds that bowling to Dhawan, who is a very good bowler of spin, was tough. States that Kohli is also a bludgeoner of the spinners and hence they needed to be careful. Says that some mistakes cost them the first 2 games. Adds that when one plays against the likes of champion teams like India and England, one needs to be at their best.
Mitchell Swepson is named the Player of the Match. Says that he is elated to bag this award and take his side home. On Shreyas Iyer's wicket off the very first ball that the batsman had faced, Mitchell states that he is happy to have got the wicket.
Andrew Tye is caught up for a quick chat. He says that he is happy with the total that Australia had got earlier. Adds that he is happy that Australia have won the last game. States that it is a batsman's game. Stay tuned for the presentation ceremony...
Earlier in the game, Kohli got lucky with the coin toss and asked Australia to set the total. The Aussies got to the worst possible start as they lost skipper Finch for a duck. However, Wade and Smith added 50-plus and kept the boundaries coming with Wade doing his magic again. He got to his half ton and with Maxwell took the attack to the Indians. Maxwell too looked in good touch and he too smashed a fine 50 before getting out and helping Australia to get to 186/5. Indians were poor with the ball and on the field. Only Natarajan and Sundar had a decent outing with the ball for India. However, the total that the Aussies got to, was good enough for their bowlers in the end.
Bowling from Australia was better than what it was in the last game. They struck in the very first over. But the fielding from them was pretty much similar to that of the Indians. Swepson was pick of the bowlers as he got 3 wickets to his name, giving away just 23 in his 4 overs. Zampa just bowled 3 but got the massive wicket of Pandya. Abbott once again had a poor outing with the ball. Tye was pretty good in his 4-over spell, picking up the wicket of Kohli in that. Eventually, it was a decent outing for the Aussies, as they managed to keep chipping away at wickets and in spite of good, attacking cricket from Pandya and Kohli towards the end, they held onto their nerves and managed to bag the first win of the series.
Chasing the total, India lost Rahul on the 2nd ball of the chase but Dhawan along with Kohli added a 50-plus stand to keep the score ticking. Dhawan fell but Kohli continued and got to his half ton. They were going along nicely but India lost 3 wickets quickly with Dhawan, Samson and Iyer falling in quick time. Kohli, along with Pandya, smashed a few out of the park but the latter fell against Zampa in the 18th over. With him going, Kohli had to go after the bowling and he fell in the penultimate over and it was easy peasy after that for Australia.
A terrific game of cricket and it is Australia who hold their nerves and manage to avoid a whitewash in the hands of the Indians. With Indians losing quick wickets, it became tough towards the end and the Aussies managed to squeeze the game and put India under pressure and seal the deal. However, it is India who will take the series 2-1. But, it is slightly disappointing that India lose their first T20I game, in 2020.
In over# 1
2
0
2
6
0W
4
Sean Abbott 49/1(4)
19.6
2
DROPPED! Well, the game ends with a catch being dropped. Pretty charecteristic of the fielding in the series itself. Short ball, Shardul Thakur pulls hard at it. It goes high in the air to the man at deep mid-wicket who spills the sitter. A couple taken by the team from South Asia. But it does not matter as the AUSTRALIANS WIN BY 12 RUNS! INDIA THOUGH, WIN THE T20I SERIES 2-1!
19.5
.
Back of a length ball around off, Thakur looks to slog it on the leg side but he misses his connection. A dot ball. Australia cannot lose now.
19.4
2
Short ball, Shardul pulls at it. It is uppish.... but lands ahead of the man at deep square leg. Just the 2 runs there. Thakur is disappointed with himself.
19.3
6
SIX! Shardul can strike all right. Low full toss on off and middle, Shardul picks it up and sends it soaring over wide long on for a maximum. 17 required from 3 balls now.
Deepak Chahar is in now.
19.2
W
OUT! CAUGHT! Sundar is gone. This match is going away from India. Full toss well outside off, would have been a wide had he left it. But Washington Sundar goes after it. He strikes it uppishly but Tye, at deep backward point, runs in and takes the catch.
19.1
4
FOUR! Good strike this on the off side. India still in the game. 23 still needed though. Outside off, Washington hops and hammers it over the covers. Sweeper cover gives chase but the ball is well wide of him and goes away to the fence.
Who will bowl the final over of the game? Will Finch toss the ball to his leggie again? Thakur can use the long handle well against him. Finch goes to his pacer. Sean Abbott it is. He hasn't had a greatest of game so far.
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