In the third T20I match of the five-match bilateral series, Australia beat India by five wickets at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. Following the victory, the 2021 T20 world cup winners opened their winning tally in the series.
Australian skipper Matthew Wade won the toss and invited the host to bat first. The host had a very shaky start as the southpaw opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) was dismissed by Jason Behrendorff in the second over, and Ishan Kishan got out on duck in the third over. The Indian skipper, Suryakumar Yadav (39) came to the charge to stabilise the innings and started to play his shots. On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad (122*), initially played an anchoring role and was giving support his partner on the other end to play aggressively. Both the batters built partnership of 57 runs, that boosted the run graph of the Indian side, but Aaron Hardie found his way to get rid of SKY in the 11th over. After the dismissal of the Indian captain, Ruturaj shifted his gears and started to attack the Australian bowling set-up and scored his maiden T20I ton which had 13 fantastic fours and seven colossal sixes. Along with Tilak Varma (31*), he knit a massive partnership of 141 runs that helped his side to put up a mammoth total of 222 runs with the loss of 3 wickets in the 20 overs.
With the ball for Austarlia, Kane Richardson, Behrendorff, and Hardie got one wicket each. Rest of the Aussie bowlers had a terrible day in the office.
While chasing, the Australian side got a fiery start, all courtsey to Travis Head (35) and Aaron Hardie (16) and started to smashing the Indian bowlers from the very word go. Arshdeep Singh drew the first blood for the Indian side, as he got Hardie out in the fifth over. Head was continuing his form which he got in the World Cup final and was looking dangerous, but Avesh Khan did not give him more life on this deck and got rid of him in the sixth over. Josh Inglis (10) got rattled up by Ravi Bishnoi. After losing three wickets in quick succession, Glenn Maxwell (104*) came to the turf, and started to counter attack, along with Marcus Stoinis (17) and Matthew Wade (28*) and played a match winning innings which helped his side to chase the target in the last ball of the innings. Glenn scored his fourth T20I hundred of his career which eight fours and eight sixes each.
The Indian side with the ball also had a tough outing. Ravi Bishnoi was the leading wicket-taker, and got two wickets, whereas Arshdeep, Axar Patel, and Avesh secured one wicket each.
For his match-winning knock, Glenn Maxwell has been adjudged Player of the Match.
Although incurring a loss in the third T20I, India still leading the series by 2-1.
Scorecard:
India:222/3, Overs 20, Ruturaj Gaikwad 122*, Jason Behrendorff 1/12
Australia: 225-5, Overs 20, Glenn Maxwell 104*, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32