Guwahati: Australia made a remarkable comeback in the five-match series by defeating India by five wickets on the last ball in the third T20 match on Tuesday. Glenn Maxwell, who is known for his aggressive batting, played a match-winning innings of unbeaten 104 runs in 48 balls and helped Australia chase down the target of 223 runs, which seemed impossible at one stage. Maxwell, who had conceded 30 runs in the last over while bowling, fully compensated for his mistake with his batting.
Maxwell, who had recently led Australia to a miraculous victory over Afghanistan by scoring a double century in the ODI World Cup, hit Prasidh Krishna for a six and fours on the last three balls of the final over and took Australia to 225 for 5. Maxwell scored 104 runs in 48 balls with the help of eight fours and eight sixes. He completed his century in 47 balls, equalling the record of Josh Inglis and Aaron Finch for the fastest T20 century for Australia. He also became the first Australian to score a T20 century against India.
Maxwell shared a 72-run partnership with captain Matthew Wade, who scored 28 runs in 18 balls, and a 98-run partnership with Travis Head, who scored 35 runs in 19 balls. Wade and Head also played crucial roles in the chase, as they hit some big shots and kept the required run rate under control. Wade hit a six and a four off Akshar Patel in the 19th over, while wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan’s mistake resulted in four runs as a bye. Australia, who had lost the first two matches, needed 43 runs in the last two overs, and 22 runs in the last over, which Maxwell achieved with his heroics.
Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 123 runs in 57 balls, his first T20 century
Earlier, India had scored 222 for 3 wickets, thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unbeaten 123 runs in 57 balls. Gaikwad hit 13 fours and seven sixes in his innings, and this was his first T20 International century, and also the first by any Indian against Australia in the shortest format. Gaikwad scored 30 runs in the 20th over by smashing Glenn Maxwell’s balls fiercely. Captain Matthew Wade’s decision to give the 20th over to the irregular off-spinner proved wrong.
India, who were sent in to bat first on a wicket with extra bounce and swing, had a slow start. In-form Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) and Ishan Kishan (0) were out cheaply. After this, captain Suryakumar Yadav scored 39 runs in 29 balls, which included two sixes and five fours. Fast bowler Aaron Hardy, playing his first match, sent him to the pavilion. Gaikwad took charge and played the role of architect of the innings. Gaikwad, who is often criticized for his slow start, gave a befitting reply to his critics by playing a very aggressive innings. In the last six overs, he hit shots all around the ground. He completed the first fifty in 32 balls and the next in 20 balls. He completed his century by hitting Maxwell for a six in the last over.
Gaikwad’s century was also special because it came exactly a year after he had scored a double century against Uttar Pradesh in the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On November 28, 2022, Gaikwad scored 204 not out off 156 balls and also made a world record by hitting 7 sixes in one over.
The series is still alive with two more matches to go
The series is still alive with two more matches to go, as Australia has reduced the gap to 2-1. The fourth T20 will be played on Friday at the same venue, where both teams will try to win and gain momentum. The fifth and final T20 will be played on Sunday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The series has been a high-scoring and entertaining one, as both teams have displayed their batting prowess and firepower. The series has also witnessed some individual brilliance and records, such as Maxwell’s and Gaikwad’s centuries, Gill’s century in the first T20, and Kohli’s half-century in the second T20. The series has also been a competitive and close one, as the first two matches were decided by 5 runs and 4 runs respectively, and the third match was decided by the last ball. The series has also been a preparation and a rehearsal for both teams for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will be held in Australia in 2024.
