India staged a brilliant comeback in the five-match T20I series, defeating Australia by five wickets in a high-octane encounter at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. An explosive unbeaten knock of 49 off 23 balls from Washington Sundar sealed the challenging 187-run chase with nine balls to spare, levelling the India vs Australia T20 series 1-1.
Earlier, India’s decision to bowl first, after skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss, paid immediate dividends. Pace spearhead Arshdeep Singh, making a crucial return, struck twice in the Powerplay, removing Travis Head (6) and Josh Inglis (1) to reduce the hosts to a stuttering start.
However, Australia found stability and fire in the middle order through a blistering counterattack from Tim David (74 off 38). David raced to his half-century in just 23 balls, smashing eight fours and five sixes, forming a vital partnership with Marcus Stoinis. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy provided India with a double breakthrough in the ninth over, dismissing Mitchell Marsh (11) and Mitchell Owen (0) on consecutive deliveries to peg back Australia’s momentum.
Despite losing David to Shivam Dube, Marcus Stoinis (64 off 39) continued the assault alongside Matthew Short (26 not out), guiding Australia to a formidable total of 186 for six. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the Indian bowlers, finishing with excellent figures of 3/35.
Sundar and Jitesh seal the chase
Chasing 187, India’s top order provided a quick start, with Abhishek Sharma (25) and Suryakumar Yadav (24) maintaining a brisk scoring rate despite the regular fall of wickets. Australian pacer Nathan Ellis, with a spell of 3/36, was the main threat, accounting for Abhishek, Shubman Gill (15), and Axar Patel (17).
India found themselves at a tricky 145/5 after Tilak Varma (29) departed in the 15th over. The game-changing moment arrived when Washington Sundar stepped up. The all-rounder, often touted as a long-term finisher, unleashed an aggressive display of power-hitting. Supported by a crucial cameo from Jitesh Sharma (22 not out off 13), Sundar’s unbeaten 43-run, 25-ball partnership steered India comfortably across the finish line.
The victory, highlighted by Arshdeep Singh’s Player of the Match performance and Sundar’s clutch batting, means the five-match T20I series heads to an exciting fourth game at the Gold Coast.
