IND vs AUS: 3rd T20I Review – Maxwell mayhem revives Australia
The third match of the five-match T20I series took place at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati and it was another run-fest that India and Australia produced.
Australian captain Matthew Wade won the toss and chose to bowl first. India’s innings got off to a shaky start, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan early with only 24 runs on the board in the third over. Captain Suryakumar Yadav then entered the crease and formed a crucial partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad, stabilizing the team. However, Yadav was dismissed with the team total at 81 in the 11th over.
While Ruturaj initially scored at almost a run a ball in his first 22 deliveries, he shifted gears and quickly reached a century in just 52 balls. He formed a brilliant 141-run partnership in 51 balls with Tilak Varma for the fourth wicket, where Varma contributed just 31 runs. Ruturaj remained unbeaten at 123, guiding India to a gigantic 222 in 20 overs.
Chasing the target, Australian opener, Travis Head started aggressively in the powerplay with a few boundaries. However, the required run rate proved challenging for the Australian batters, leading to regular wicket losses. At 68 for three, Glenn Maxwell stepped in and played a memorable innings, smashing a scintillating century in just 47 balls to secure the victory for Australia.
Maxwell formed a crucial 91-run partnership in 39 balls with captain Wade for the sixth wicket, bringing Australia to victory and keeping the series alive which stands at 2-1 in favour of India. Maxwell scored 104 off 48 balls, while Wade contributed 28 off 16 balls.
Top Performers of the Match
Ruturaj Gaikwad (123 of 57)
Ruturaj’s outstanding 123 runs knock helped India recover from a slow start in the first six overs. While his first 22 runs took 22 balls, he accelerated, scoring 101 runs in the next 35 balls. He smashed 13 fours and seven sixes in his brilliant century. His remarkable innings included smashing 30 runs in the last over against Maxwell, enabling India to reach 222.
Jason Behrendorff (1/12, 4 overs)
In a high-scoring match where both teams totalled 447 runs in 40 overs, Behrendorff bowled an exceptional four-over spell, conceding just 12 runs. He swung the ball early on to trouble the Indian openers and maintained effectiveness in the middle overs, emerging as the best bowler of the match.
What’s Next
Both teams are set to face each other in the fourth T20 of the series at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur on December 1.
