ugc_banner

3rd T20I: Australia take consolation win as India clinch series 2-1

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Dec 08, 2020, 05:55 PM IST
main img
Photograph:(AFP)

Story highlights

Australia on Tuesday defeated India by 12 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground in what was the third and final T20I match of the series. This was India’s first defeat in 12 T20Is for India with the last loss coming against the West Indies in Trivandrum in December 2019. The 12-run defeat to Australia also became India’s first away defeat in 11 matches since losing to New Zealand in Hamilton in February 2019.

Australia on Tuesday defeated India by 12 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground in what was the third and final T20I match of the series. This was India’s first defeat in 12 T20Is for India with the last loss coming against the West Indies in Trivandrum in December 2019. The 12-run defeat to Australia also became India’s first away defeat in 11 matches since losing to New Zealand in Hamilton in February 2019.

The T20I series also marks the end to the limited-overs affair in India’s gruelling tour of Australia and both the teams will now focus on the four-match Test series, starting December 17.

Batting first, Australia posted 186/5 in 20 overs following a breathtaking 80-run knock off 53 deliveries laced by seven boundaries and two sixes. While captain Aaron Finch departed for a duck, Steve Smith was also sent packing for 24. Both the wickets were taken by Washington Sundar. 

Glenn Maxwell continued his rich run of form as he smashed 54 off 36 including three boundaries and as many sixes as Australia managed to post another formidable total on the board. 

The Men in Blue, chasing 187, lost KL Rahul for a duck but Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli stitched a 74-run stand before the southpaw departed for 28. Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer both failed to deliver with scores of 10 and 0 respectively.

Hardik Pandya smashed a couple of sixes but couldn’t continue and even Virat Kohli departed for 85 soon after Hardik was dismissed. Shardul Thakur hammered another couple of sixes but it was too little too late for India as they end the T20I series by winning it 2-1.

“At one stage when Hardik started going, we thought we could pull it off. The middle over phase during our batting cost us the game. A partnership of 30-odd would've made it easier for Hardik. We are finding ways to come back and give the opposition a scare and the series win is a little asterisk for us to finish the 2020 season on a high,” said Kohli after India’s 12-run defeat to Australia.

“I feel the crowd was a factor as well, it's always giving you a dimension of motivation. Our crowd pulls us through sometimes, and Australia's too, and we as players feed off the crowd's energy. We need to take the same competitive attitude into the Tests, and having played here a few times, we can score runs as well. Once it's time to capitalize and score, we need to do that session by session. I'm sure the current side is stronger than last time (Test matches) and I'll see if I can play the tour match,” he added.