India Show Mettle To Beat Australia, Clinch Crucial Series Ahead Of T20 WC

Blistering knocks by Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and a late cameo of 25* run off 16 balls by Hardik Pandya took India to a six-wicket win against Australia in the third and final game to seal the three-match T20I series 2-1 here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.

Suryakumar smashed 69 off 66 balls while Kohli scored 63 off 48 balls to guide Men in Blue to a thrilling run chase victory. Chasing 187, India got off to the worst start as they lost their opener KL Rahul on Daniel Sams' delivery. Virat Kohli then came out to bat and handled the charge of the Indian team with skipper Rohit Sharma.

Rohit then tried to ease some pressure and smashed one four and six in the Josh Hazlewood's over. In the fourth over of the innings, Pat Cummins gave India a big blow as he dismissed skipper Rohit who smashed 17 runs in 14 balls. Rohit tried to play the pull shot but handed an easy catch to Daniel Sams on the straight down deep backward square leg. With the skipper's wicket, both India openers went back to the pavilion in under four overs.

Suryakumar Yadav then came out to bat. Cameron Green was then brought into the attack but the pacer could not do much as Virat Kohli smashed a classy four on the very first ball of the spell.

In the 6th over of the innings, Kohli slammed one six and four in Hazlewood's spell. Suryakumar then joined hands with Kohli to smash Australian bowlers all around the ground while stealing singles.

With a massive back-to-back two sixes in Adam Zampa's spell, Suryakumar brought up his half-century. The duo of Kohli and Suryakumar brought up their 100-run partnership stand in 59 deliveries as they continued their carnage on Australian bowlers.

Suryakumar looked in great touch smashing Hazlewood for one six and four, however, his stint was cut short as he tried to play a shot on straight to long-off but handed an easy catch to Aaron Finch for 69 runs in 36 deliveries in the 14th over of the match.

Hardik Pandya then came to bat on the crease. In the 16th over of the innings, Kohli also brought up his half-century in 37 deliveries. This was Kohli's 33rd T20I fifty.

India needed 32 runs in 18 balls and Pandya and Kohli's duo smashed Cummins for 11 runs in the 18th over. In the second last over Pandya showed his great skills he slammed a six on the very first delivery of Hazlewood's spell.

With 11 runs left to win in the last over, Kohli sent the very first delivery of Sams for a six but was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 63 runs in 48 balls. With 5 runs left to win in 4 balls, Dinesh Karthik came out to bat.

Sams delivered a wide yorker but Hardik cleverly opened the face of the bat and sliced this fine with one hand to get it to the boundary. With a clever boundary, Hardik guided his team home to clinch the three-match T20I series against Australia.

Earlier, Cameron Green smashed 52 off 21 and a late blitz of 54 runs by Tim David guided Australia to post a competitive total of 186/7
For Australia, Cameron Green smash 52 off 21 while a blistering knock of 54 runs by Tim David powered Men in Yellow to a decent total. For India Axar Patel scalped three-wicket while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel bagged one wicket each.

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Put to bat first, Australia got off to a flying start as opener Cameron Green smashed Indian bowlers all around the ground, Green smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a massive six on the second delivery of the game, but it was not enough for the Australia opener as he slammed a stunning four and gathered 12 runs in the first over of the innings.

Green in red-hot form continued his carnage in the second over to smashing two fours piling 11 runs in an over. The third over of the innings saw Green hammer a four before slamming two huge sixes on the delivery of Jasprit Bumrah.

Axar Patel was brought into the attack he gave his team a big breakthrough, dismissing Aaron Finch for 7 runs. However, the skipper's wicket did not stop Green's carnage as he slammed back-to-back three fours and brought up his 19-ball half-century in the fifth over of the game.

Bhuvneshwar was brought back into the attack and the pacers gave his team a huge breakthrough as he dismissed Green. Green departed after playing a fantastic knock of 52 in just 21 balls.

Green's dismissal brought all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to the crease. Maxwell then joined hands with Steven Smith to keep the scoreboard running for the team.

In the 8th over, with a brilliant and fast fielding by Axar Patel helped wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik stump run out Maxwell for 6 runs.
After Cameron Green's blitz India Pulled things back in their favour as Australia's score read 75 for three. Josh Inglis then came out to bat on the crease.

Smith's stint on the crease was cut short as he was stumped by Karthik on the delivery of Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 9 runs in 10 deliveries.
Smith's wicket invited right-handed batter Tim David to bat on the crease. After 10 overs, Australia's score read 86 for 4. With four wickets down Australia looked in trouble as the duo of Tim David and Inglis struggled a little to get runs.

However, the struggle did not last long as the batters steal quick boundaries and took their team's score beyond the 100-run mark in the 12th over.

Axar Patel struck twice in the 14th over, dismissing Inglis who smashed 24 runs in 22 deliveries and new batter Matthew Wade who was caught and bowled by him. Axar totally broke the back of the visitors' middle order in the 14th over, getting rid of Josh Inglis and Matthew Wade.

Daniel Sams ended 16th over of the innings with a huge six and four on Hardik Pandya's spell. In the second last overs, Tim David held the fort from the front and smashed Bhuvneshwar for back-to-back two sixes and one four while gathering 21 runs.

David smashed a massive six in the 19th over of the innings and brought up a 25-ball fifty and his maiden in T20Is. Harshal Patel then stopped the blistering stint of Tim David as he dismissed him for 54 and restricted Australia to 186 for 7 in the 20-over match. David's knock was decorated with four sixes and two fours.

Brief score: Australia 186/7 (Cameron Green 52, Tim David 54; Axar Patel 3-33) vs India 187/4 (Suryakumar Yadav 69, Virat Kohli 63; Daniel Sams 2-33).

(With inputs from ANI)

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