Glenn Maxwell delivered a crucial boundary off the last ball in the IND vs AUS 3rd T20I match and propelled Australia to a 5-wicket victory in a ‘final-ball thriller’ at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium on Tuesday.
With this win, Australia narrows the series gap to 1-2, setting the stage for the 4th T20 in Raipur.
Maxwell’s fiery innings (104 runs off 48 balls) also achieved the fastest T20I century by an Australian, reaching the milestone in just 47 balls against India.
It was a high-scoring encounter today, with a total of 447 runs on the board. Australia delivered a clutch performance, securing the win and keeping the series alive 2-1.
Australia’s Matthew Wade won the toss and elected to field, putting India into bat. The home team faced early setbacks as Yashasvi Jaiswala and Ishan Kishan fell cheaply, leaving India at 26-2 within four overs, courtesy of impressive spells by Jason Behrendorff and Kane Richardson.
However, Ruturaj Gaikwad, in partnership with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, stabilised the innings. While the early blows rocked India, the duo put on a resilient 57-run stand before the captain’s departure. Ruturaj Gaikwad then took charge, displaying a commanding batting display.
Gaikwad, showcasing remarkable composure and skill, notched up his fifty and seamlessly shifted gears, putting on a stunning innings. The late overs witnessed absolute carnage as Ruturaj Gaikwad unleashed an onslaught. His assault caused significant damage to the Australian bowling attack, particularly in the 18th and final overs. Aaron Hardie conceded 25 runs in the penultimate over and Gaikwad reached his first international century on the first over of the last over by lofting Glenn Maxwell’s delivery over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. Maxwell faced the brunt, conceding 30 runs in the final over.
India concluded their innings with a formidable score owing largely to Gaikwad’s exceptional batting display. The challenging target of 223 set by India posed a daunting task for Australia, despite the pitch favouring batsmen.
