In the third game of the five-match Twenty20 International series, Australia stunned India by five wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Thanks to a spectacular century from Glenn Maxwell (104* off 48), the Matthew Wade-led team managed to chase down the enormous score of 223. Notably, with Wade and Maxwell at the crease, Australia had an enormous task of 43 runs to win from 12 balls.
The pair created the second-highest successful chase for Australia in Twenty20 Internationals when they first hit Axar Patel for 22 runs in the penultimate over and then got 23 runs off the last over against Prasidh Krishna. After Australia won, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad defended Krishna, who had difficult conditions to bowl in and recorded the most expensive bowling figures by an Indian in T20Is (0/68, 4 overs).
It’s almost like you’re bowling with a wet ball, so I don’t think that’s a big deal. And it’s quite difficult for them. While the conditions are right, 12 or even 13 or 14 runs per over may be achieved, even while we are chasing. HindustanTimes cited Ruturaj Gaikwad as stating, “In the first game, how easily we managed to chase 210.”
He also gave Maxwell credit for his outstanding performance, which helped Australia cross the finish line with the joint-fastest century by an Australian in Twenty20 Internationals (47 balls).
“Even Maxi, in my opinion, played pretty well. I think it was a crucial inning for him to win in a scenario where they needed to score 100 runs in seven and a half hours and then 50 runs in three overs,” he continued.
In the T20I match against Australia, Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first Indian batter to reach a hundred runs.
Gaikwad had earlier in the day produced a brilliant knock of 123* (57) in the first inning, hammering seven sixes and thirteen fours. Significantly, he also made history by becoming the first Indian batsman to reach a hundred runs in a Twenty20 international against Australia, enabling his team to amass an enormous 222/3 in the allocated 20 overs.
At one point, the 26-year-old was batting on 21 (21), but he eventually picked up speed in the final overs, showcasing his diverse range of strokes. But even though he had a fantastic knock, Maxwell destroyed the Indian bowling; therefore, he was ultimately unsuccessful.
India
