Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli struck half centuries as India beat Australia by six wickets in their third and final Twenty20 International in Hyderabad on Sunday (Sep 25) to claim a 2-1 series win.
Suryakumar Yadav’s rapid half-century led India to a six-wicket win over Australia with one ball remaining in their Twenty20 decider for a 2-1 series victory in Hyderabad.
Yadav smacked 69 off 36 balls and put on 104 runs off only 62 deliveries with Virat Kohli as India scored 187-4 in 19.5 overs. Kohli hit a 48-ball 63.
Earlier at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, India won the toss and asked Australia to bat first in the third T20. Australia scored 186-7 thanks to quick-fire half-centuries from Cameron Green (52) and Tim David (54).
Australia won the first T20 in Mohali by four wickets and the hosts had won the curtailed second game in Nagpur by six wickets.
India made one change to their lineup Sunday with pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar coming in for batter Rishabh Pant. Australia also made one change, with batsman Josh Inglis coming in for bowling all-rounder Sean Abbott.
A capacity crowd watched the game as international cricket returned to the venue for the first time since February 2019.
Chasing a competitive 187, India lost both openers early. Lokesh Rahul (1) and captain Rohit Sharma (17) were out with the score at 30-2 in 3.4 overs. Kohli then anchored the Indian innings with a relatively sedate half-century. He hit three fours as well as four sixes. But the impetus came from Yadav, who stunned the Australian bowling with five sixes and another five fours. Yadav got to his half-century off 29 balls as the duo brought up 50 in 32 balls.
Josh Hazlewood (1-40) got the breakthrough to leave India at 134-3 and needing 53 off the last six overs. It only managed 21 runs in the 18 balls after Yadav was caught by Australian captain Aaron Finch.
Kohli and Hardik Pandya (25 not out) combined for a crucial 48 runs with Kohli out in the final over, caught by Finch off Daniel Sams (2-33).
Put in to bat, Green had provided the perfect start for Australia. He smacked seven fours and three sixes off only 21 balls. His half-century came in just 19 balls as Australia scored 66-2 in the powerplay despite losing Finch (7).
However, Green was the only one of Australia’s top four to reach double figures, Finch, Glenn Maxwell (6) Steve Smith (9) all falling cheaply as the visitors slipped to 4-84 in the 10th over.
David (54 off 27) provided much-needed momentum in the later overs, combining with Daniel Sams (28 not out off 20) for a seventh-wicket stand of 68, after Australia slumped to 6-117. They took 39 off the 18th and 19th overs with David, who made his Australia debut in the series opener, underlining his power hitting credentials with four sixes in his innings.
Maxwell was run out in unusual circumstances following a direct hit from the deep by Axar Patel. While wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik dislodged one bail with his glove before the ball hit the stumps, Maxwell was out of his ground when the second bail was dislodged by the ball.
India pulled back the run rate following Green’s dismissal as Australia scored just 24 in the next five overs.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel (3-33) was again Australia’s nemesis, finishing the series with eight wickets at an average of 7.87 and economy rate of 6.30. He struck twice in the 14th over, having Josh Inglis (24 off 22) caught at backward point and then taking a smart low return catch to dismiss in-form Matthew Wade for just a single.
Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (1-22 off 4) also did good job of putting the brakes on Australia before David and Sams lifted the tempo.
