In the third T20 match of the Australia tour of India 2022, India beat Australia by six wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first. It was the right decision as the Indian team did their best to mount pressure on batters. Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal bowled their finest to keep the run rate down. Nevertheless, Australia managed to score an above-par total of 186/7 runs in 20 overs.
While chasing, India lost both the openers in the powerplay and were playing decently to get a few runs on the board. It was Virat Kohli’s (63) and Suryakumar Yadav‘s (69) which turned the game in India’s favour. Both the batters put up 104 runs for the third wicket partnership wherein the major contributor was Suryakumar Yadav. The Mumbai-based batter showed his class and his power hitting from one end while Kohli from the other end was happily rotating the strike. Yadav hit five fours and five sixes in his inning and struck at over 190 which ensured India’s win. After Yadav’s departure, Kohli shifted gears and tried to finish off the game but unfortunately got out in the last over. In the end, a major contribution from Hardik Pandya (25*) brought the game home in the penultimate ball of the match.
In the first innings, young Cameron Green (52) scored a brilliant half-century yet again. With him, Tim David (54) also hammered a half-century in just 27 deliveries. There were also contributions from Josh Inglis (24) and Daniel Sams (28) which took Australia’s score to 186/7 in 20 overs.
Axar Patel showcased his class once again as he picked up three wickets. One wicket each were also taken by Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
For the Men in Yellow, Daniel Sams plucked two wickets and with him, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood got one wicket each.
Suryakumar Yadav claimed Man of the Match for his exceptional batting performance. Following this victory, team India outshined Australia by 2-1 in the three-match T20I series.
Scorecard:
Australia: 186/7, Overs 20, Tim David 54, Axar Patel 3/33
India: 187/4, Overs 19.5, Suryakumar Yadav 69, Daniel Sams 2/33