Match Center

Right then, that is all we have from this enthralling series then. India win this series by 2-1 and it will give them a lot of confidence with the World Cup around the corner. India will play another three-match T20I series next up against South Africa. The first game of that series will be played on 28th of September and it will start at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT). Australia, on the other hand, will play two T20Is against West Indies at home. The first game of that home series for them will be played on the 5th of October, 2022. That game will start at 1.40 pm IST (8.10 am GMT). There is also plenty of other cricketing action to catch up till then. Cheers!

Rohit Sharma, the skipper of India says that it is a special place and he says that they have a lot of memories as an India team in Hyderabad and also when he played for Hyderabad in the Indian T20 League. Tells that they wanted to put up a show and they did that.  Feels that the biggest positives were to see different individuals taking up responsibility and that is pleasing to see for the team management. Mentions that the margin of errors are very small and sometimes it comes right and sometimes it does not but he is pretty happy with the performance. Adds that he would like to see their death bowling coming to the party as well but adds that it will take time as Bumrah and Harshal Patel are coming after a long break. He mentions that they do not want to dig deeper into it and hopes that the guys will get better from hereon.

Axar Patel is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES! He says that it is a good feeling to contribute for the team and win the man of the series award. Adds that he tries to bowl in the Powerplay like he does in the Indian T20 League. Mentions that he now understands what the batters are trying to do now and bowl accordingly and is getting the rewards for it.

Suryakumar Yadav is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for this brilliant knock! He talks about his dismissal and says that he was trying to take it on and finish the match there. Tells that his thoughts have been the same all the time and he just tries to execute his plans. Tells that the World Cup will be a challenge but at the same time one should not shy away from expressing oneself but need to be a bit smarter as well.

Aaron Finch, the skipper of Australia says that it was a really good series. Adds that the way they held their nerves when Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav were batting that was good to see. Praises Cameron Green for his performance in the series. Mentions that to play three T20Is against a world class side will help the team to gain experience. Tells that there were a lot of positives and they will now prepare for the series at home.

Time for the Presentation...

Virat Kohli is down for a quick chat. He says that he bats at number 3 and has to use his experience while chasing. Adds that the plan was to take Zampa on as he is a crucial bowler for them. Mentions that Suryakumar Yadav is an excellent batter and tells that he got a hundred in England and played well in the Asia Cup as and he continued his form here. Adds that he is striking the ball better than anybody. Tells that when Suryakumar Yadav was attacking Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma told him to keep it slow and bat till the end. He says that the game should not have gone till the end but he is happy that they are on the winning side. Adds that he is trying to hit those big ones in the middle overs. Ends by saying that he is happy with the contribution that he is making for the team.

In the first half, Australia started off with a bang with Cameron Green coming out all guns blazing. However, they failed to capitalise in the middle overs with the bat as well as India managed to pick wickets at regular intervals. They still got a par score on the board with Tim David smashing it all around the park in the death overs. For India, Axar Patel was the star yet again with three wickets to his name and Chahal and Harshal Patel were also pretty good which are good signs for India. It was set up to be an exciting chase and that is what we got but looking at the bigger picture with World Cup around the corner, this series will surely go a long way in fine-tuning the squad and plans ahead of the marquee event.

Australia are a great fighting side and that was evident in this game as well. They bowled well in the Powerplay but could not keep a lid on the scoring rate as India managed to keep up with the required rate despite losing two wickets in the Powerplay. Adam Zampa was always going to be the key bowler in the middle phase but he had a bad day in the office and that eventually cost Australia. They did keep themselves in the game though till the end by nailing those wide yorkers brilliantly but it is a game of small margins and India have just managed to inch ahead of them in the end.

We were expecting a high-scoring thriller and that is exactly what we have got here in Hyderabad! India had a tough task on their hand coming into this chase but it was not an impossible task with the pitch being a belter to bat on. India lost KL Rahul early and Rohit Sharma also could not last long as India were in a spot of bother in the Powerplay. However, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav got together and India kept scoring at a brisk rate through the middle overs with Suryakumar Yadav playing a blinder of a knock. He played some breathtaking shots all around the ground and Kohli also played his part perfectly at the other end. They put up a partnership of 104 from just 62 balls and by the time SKY departed India were in the driver’s seat. Things got quite close in the end though with Australia bowling well in the death but Pandya kept his cool after Kohli's dismissal and took India over the line.

India have clinched the series with a win here in this cracker of a game! The momentum kept swinging from one team to another throughout this match but it is India who have come out on top in the end. It is a kind of series and the competition these two teams would have desired for ahead of the World Cup and have to say, it has been a thoroughly entertaining series with the quality of cricket being of the highest order.

FOUR! Hardik Pandya has done it! Daniel Sams bowls a yorker length delivery, on off, Hardik Pandya throws his bat at it and gets a thick outside edge past the diving Cameron Green at short third man as the ball races away for a boundary at the third man fence. India win by 6 wickets and take the series 2-1.

A dot! This is full and outside off, Hardik Pandya is standing slightly across and tries to go for the slog but misses. It is not called a wide. 4 runs needed in 2 balls. Pressure on Pandya now.

Just a single! Sams comes 'round the wicket and bowls it on a length and outside off. Dinesh Karthik slams it uppishly but well short of long off for a single.

Dinesh Karthik walks out to the middle now! Can he repeat the heroics of the last game? 5 needed now from 4 balls!

OUT! TAKEN! Virat Kohli has to go back now as he tries to finish things off. This is full and around off, Virat Kohli tries to go over extra cover, but cannot get the elevation and hits it straight to Aaron Finch who makes no mistake. Virat Kohli has played a fine knock here but is there still a twist in the tale?

SIX! BANG! This is just what India needed! Daniel Sams bowls a slower one, full and on middle, in the slot, Virat Kohli waits for it and lofts it over the long on fence for a biggie. 5 runs needed in 5 balls now.

Who will bowl the last over? It will be Daniel Sams! Here we go...