Washington justifies his selection with bat after Arshdeep's 'Sundar' return; India level series in 3rd T20I
Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy shone as India stormed back into the five-match series against Australia, levelling it 1-1 in the third game in Hobart on Sunday. Australia scored 186/6 batting first but India chased it down with nine deliveries to spare.
Australia were handed their first-ever defeat in Hobart in international cricket in the shortest format as India levelled the five-match T20I series 1-1 on Sunday, November 2 at the Bellerive Oval. It was a complete all-round performance despite the selections being still iffy from the visitors as Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma stepped up to perform their respective roles, to get their side over the line, chasing 187 runs with nine balls to spare.
India made three changes to their side for the crunch game and witnessed the positive effect of those changes quickly enough, with Arshdeep Singh dismissing the dangerous Travis Head in the first over itself. The leading wicket-taker for India in the format didn't waste much time in justifying his selection further as he removed Josh Inglis in his next over and Australia were suddenly two down early in the powerplay.
Australia were in desperate need of a partnership and a quick rate and Tim David provided that. David is enjoying his 2.0 phase, where he is promoted up the order and is relishing the extra responsibility provided to him. When skipper Mitchell Marsh was deprived of strike and was eventually dismissed after not playing many deliveries, David kept going and smashed a 23-ball half-century. Even as Varun Chakravarthy struck twice in two balls, David didn't deter from his plan of attack.
How the restriction took place
Marcus Stoinis, the No 6 for Australia on Sunday, started brilliantly and Australia's run-scoring was back on track yet again. The partnership between the two big-hitter lasted just 27 balls, but they more importantly added 45 runs before Shivam Dube got Tim David to hit straight to Tilak Varma on the off side boundary amid all the carnage.
Contributions kept coming for Australia as Matt Short joined Stoinis in the middle and played a few quick shots to keep Australia on course for probably a 190-plus total. Dube's poor spell meant, Australia could actually achieve, despite Chakravarthy and Bumrah's attempts to stem the run-flow. Arshdeep came back to dismiss Stoinis, who too scored a well-compiled half-century, to end up with a three-fer and India were able to stop Australia to 186.
India lost both their openers in the powerplay but guys like Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who had raced off to 24 off just 10 balls. Surya too fell just after the powerplay but good thing for India was that they didn't lose wickets in clusters. There was a 35-run stand then, between Axar Patel and Tilak Varma and then a 34 between Tilak and Washington Sundar, who didn't get bowl a single over, but compensated for it with the bat.
The southpaw raced off to 29 off just 11 balls and eventually took the side home with an unbeaten 49 off just 23 balls, alongside Jitesh Sharma, who survived a dropped catch to come unbeaten on 22. This was the second-highest run-chase by a full-member nation without an individual fifty, while being the third-highest successful chase in T20Is in Australia.
India and Australia stood on level 1-1 and both teams will be gunning to take the lead at the Gold Coast a few days later.