3rd T20I: Washington, Arshdeep star as India beat Australia to level series (Ld)

Hobart, Nov 2 (IANS) Although all-rounder Washington Sundar didn’t get to bowl, he stepped up when it mattered most to smash an unbeaten 49 off 23 balls as India defeated Australia by five wickets in the third T20I at the Bellerive Oval on Sunday.

Chasing 187, India’s top seven contributed in patches, but it was Sundar’s late flourish, laced with three fours and four sixes, that sealed the win for India with nine balls remaining and levelled the five-match series 1-1. The result also marked Australia’s first defeat in six T20 Internationals at Hobart.

Despite Nathan Ellis’ three-wicket haul, Australia couldn’t halt India’s momentum in the closing stages. Arshdeep Singh also played a crucial role in India’s victory by striking early and maintaining the pressure on to pick a three-fer, as Australia scored 186/6, thanks to Tim David’s 74 and Marcus Stoinis’ 64.

India began their chase with intent, as Abhishek looked in fluent touch to slice Xavier Bartlett for six, before carting Sean Abbott for two fours and a six. But the momentum shifted when Nathan Ellis struck twice in quick succession - Abhishek mistimed a pull and the top-edge was caught by the keeper, while Shubman Gill was trapped lbw.

With both openers back in the hut, Suryakumar Yadav began stabilising the innings by hitting Ellis and Abbott for a six each, before slicing off Matthew Kuhnemann for a boundary. But Suryakumar fell in the eighth over when he chipped a slower ball from Marcus Stoinis to extra cover. Four overs later, Axar Patel fell when he was cramped for room by a bouncer from Nathan Ellis and top-edged a pull to mid-wicket.

Amidst all this, Sundar’s onslaught began by clobbering Ellis over mid-wicket for six, before pulling Matthew Kuhnemann for a boundary. He then turned the tide in India’s favour by taking 19 runs off Sean Abbott in the 14th over – a tennis-style swat for four through deep extra cover was followed by a powerful whip over square leg for six and pulling a short ball for another maximum.

Australia bounced back when Tilak Varma looked to scoop, but got it off the top edge and gave a simple catch to the keeper off Bartlett. With Jitesh Sharma scooping and driving for his boundaries, Sundar swung hard to clear backward square leg for six, before smashing a full toss from Stoinis over the bowler’s head for four. Jitesh finished off the chase in style with a lofted drive over extra cover.

Previously, David’s explosive knock came off 38 balls, featuring eight fours and five sixes. Stoinis kept the momentum going by hitting eight fours and two sixes during his 39-ball innings. While a returning Arshdeep took 3-35, Varun Chakaravarthy claimed 2-33. Arshdeep and Jasprit Bumrah delivered a masterclass of yorkers and low full tosses to concede only 16 runs in the final two overs.

Australia’s innings started with Travis Head swiping Arshdeep for four, but he then mis-hit a swat-pull to mid-off on the very next ball. Arshdeep struck again when Josh Inglis pulled straight to square-leg. Promoted to number four, David’s intent was evident from the start – driving and lofting Arshdeep and Jasprit Bumrah for boundaries.

He then dispatched Chakaravarthy for a six and a four in the spinner’s first over, before being given a reprieve on 20 when Washington Sundar dropped a sharp chance at point off Bumrah. After lofting Bumrah for another boundary, David greeted Axar Patel with two sixes – the second of which was a colossal 129m hit that went on top of the stadium’s roof.

He then pounced on Shivam Dube’s deliveries to hit a brace of boundaries, before reaching a rapid half-century off just 23 balls by cutting the all-rounder through backward point for four. However, Chakaravarthy shifted the momentum for India with a double strike in the ninth over, dismissing Marsh and Mitchell Owen on successive balls.

While Marsh, struggling to find his rhythm, mistimed a lofted shot to long-off off a slower delivery, Owen lasted just one ball as Chakaravarthy bowled a slower ball that turned sharply from outside off, and he went past his cut to rattle the middle stump. However, David retaliated by smashing the World No. 1 bowler for two sixes.

Stoinis joined the boundary-hitting party by pulling and flicking Shivam Dube for consecutive sixes. But the seamer had the last laugh as David mistimed to long-off, who held on to the chance.

Stoinis and Matthew Short hit three boundaries each to take Australia past 150, before the former received a reprieve when a low diving catch by substitute Rinku Singh was shown to have made contact with the ground. Despite Stoinis falling in the final over when he flicked to Rinku at deep mid-wicket off Arshdeep, Australia managed to cross the 180-mark.

Brief Scores: Australia 186/6 in 20 overs (Tim David 74, Marcus Stoinis 64; Arshdeep Singh 3-35, Varun Chakaravarthy 2-33) lost to India 188/5 in 18.3 overs (Washington Sundar 49 not out, Tilak Varma 29; Nathan Ellis 3-36, Marcus Stoinis 1-22) by five wickets.

--IANS

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