Glenn Maxwell single-handedly catapulted Australia into a wonderful last-ball victory over India by five wickets in the third Twenty20 in Guwahati with an excellent hundred.
Australia had fallen behind in pursuit of India’s imposing target of 223 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (Wednesday morning, AEDT) before Maxwell fired 104 not out from 48 balls and captain Matthew Wade scored 28 to cut the home side’s lead.in the five-game series at 2-1.
With Australia needing 21 out of 20 from Prasidh Krishna – and with India only allowing four fielders in the 30-yard circle due to slow over rates-Wade hit a four and a single before Maxwell went 6-4-4-4 to sign off his Indian campaign in astonishing fashion. This was after Wade had climbed to Axar Patel in the 19th Over, which Australia still needed 43 to start with.
Australia’s World Cup finals hero Travis Head first appeared in the series, swinging vigorously for a boundary of 35 before being teased by Avesh Khan’s slow bouncer and firing his strike at Ravi Bishnoi.
Aaron Hardie, 16, and Josh Inglis, 10, went inexpensive, while Marcus Stoinis, 17, and Tim David (first-ball duck) succumbed to the Indian spinners. But Maxwell, who used to concede 30 when he was brought to the Final, and Wade saved the situation.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unsmacken 123 combined with a poor performance from Australia’s second-string bowlers had the tourists under the pump at half-time. Gaikwad became the first Indian to score a T20 Ton against Australia, and his score was the second highest by an Indian in the Format, behind Shubman Gill’s 126-no against New Zealand in February.
With Australia’s World Cup-winning quartet of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa rested, the next action was again treated with disdain, with the exception of Jason Behrendorff, whose 1-15 from his four Overs included a rare mature to Suryakumar Yadav.
Kane Richardson and Hardie were inaccurate and leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was far too short. Hardie (1-64) equalled AJ Tye’s unwanted record for most runs conceded by an Australian in T20Is.
Maxwell, whose incredible century against Afghanistan in the World Cup campaign rewritten the record books, will fly home on high and join World Cup teammates Inglis, Stoinis, Steve Smith, Adam Zampa and Sean Abbott on the plane. Head is the only World Cup winner remaining for the final two matches of the tour, with Ben McDermott, Chris Green, Josh Philippe and Ben Dwarshuis joining a shortened squad of 13 players.
