India beat Australia by 6 wickets, clinch series 2-1
Hyderabad: India beat Australia by six wickets in the third and final T20I to clinch the three-match series 2-1 here on Sunday.
Cameron Green (52 off 21 balls) and Tim David (54) scored the bulk of runs as Australia put 186 for 7 after being invited to bat.
India chased down the target with one ball to spare, riding on Suryakumar Yadav’s 69 off 36 balls and Virat Kohli’s 63 off 48 balls.
Daniel Sams (2/33) claimed two wickets, while Josh Hazlewood (1/40) and Pat Cummins (1/40) accounted for one wicket each.
For India, Axar Patel (3/33) scalped three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/39), Yuzvendra Chahal (1/22) and Harshal Patel (1/18) also claimed one wicket each.
Axar Patel continued to impress but Cameron Green and Tim David hit belligerent fifties to guide Australia to 186 for 7 in the series-deciding third T20I here on Sunday.
With the pitch offering grip and turn, the left-arm spinner (3/33) picked three wickets, while also executing a sensational run out.
Yuzvendra Chahal (1/22) was also in his element, bowling an economical spell. But Green (52) scored upfront while Tim David (54) provided the final flourish for Australia.
Sloppy fielding from India towards the end only added to Australia’s total.
Invited to bat, Green (52) was on the offensive from the start. He smashed the second delivery to square leg for a massive six, which was followed by a boundary as Australia collected 12 off the first over.
Green continued the onslaught, smashing Bumrah for a four before hitting back-to-back sixes, including one that went to the second tier much to the dismay of the partisan crowd.
With Australia going over 13 runs per over, Axar provided the home side with the first breakthrough as he bowled a slower one, forcing Aaron Finch (7) to mistime the shot with Hardik Pandya collecting the ball at mid-on. (PTI)
