Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 61𒊎 runs off 41 balls as India successfully chased 165 with two balls and six wickets remaining in third T20I against hosts Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to level the three-match series 1-1.
After put in to bowl first, Krunal Pandya’s 4/36 helped India to restrict Australia at 164 for six.
While chasing the target, the tourists were off to a flier with openers Rohit Sharma and Shikha𝄹r Dhawan making mincemeat of the bowling attack. The duo ran amok as India raced away to 67 in 33 balls.
Australia struck in the nick of time with returning pacer Mitchell Starc, playing his first T20I in two years, getting the wicket of Dhawan, who to꧒nked six boundaries and two sixes in his 22-ball 41.
Spin was introduced in the nex🅠t over with leg-spinner Adam Zampa into the attack. The move worked as Rohit failed to judge the quicker delivery and ended up edging it onto h𓆏is pad and then the stumps. Rohit followed his partner adding 23 runs from just 16 balls, with one boundary and two hits over the fence.
With two new batsmen a🍌t the crease – Kohli and KL Rahul – Australia managed to slowly creep into the game.
Rahul, who was looking good after smashing a huge six, ꧅once again failed to capitalise on the opportunity and departed after lobbing it down to Glenn Maﷺxwell at long-on off Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Rishabh Pant was out for a duck after he misjudge🌞d the꧒ slower one off Andrew Tye.
India were in a spot of bother at 108/4 when Pant departed and hoped they don’t fritter away the fine start by the openers.
Kohli too was♛ taking time to settle down. However, once he got his eye in, and received good support from Dinesh Karthik (22* off 18) at the other end, not even Tye nor Zampa could stop him in the run-chase.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Great game of cricket tonite. Good fight from Aust but Kohli is the best all round batsmen iꦯn world cr▨icket and the most orthodox. All batsmen should take note of how he plays.
— Mark Waugh (@juniorwaugh349)
Wonderful inn🔜ings from Kohli🍌, great at finishing the job and a good win for India. Some of the batters though will be disappointed at not making use of the opportunities.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif)
//twitter.com/dizzy259/status/1066652215358582784
A♌ussie hopes of winning sty🦩mied by ’s brilliance. Taste of things to come in the Tests? But that’s in the future. For now, well played under pressure to square the T20 series
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah)
Congratulations to for series leveling victory. Impressive perfor🍬mances by , and the skipper ��
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj)
Superb innings from at the top and remains unbeaten in a run-chase, and when that happens India invariably wins. Congratulationsꦏ India on the win today
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281)
Run chase💛s and Virat Kohli: My favorite love story
— Madhav Sharma (@HashTagCricket)
Krunal Pandya 4/36 – best figures by an Indian bowler in T20I cricket in Australia
Also best figures by a s✱pinner on Australian s♍oil in T20Is— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
India go on to square the series in the final T20I and it's captain Virat Kohli once again to the rescue. Quite excited for the Test series which is going to be the real battle. 🇮🇳
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh)
Well done and team india for winning the 3rd T20 against australia to level tও✃he series well done with the ball..
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh)
India has NEVER lost the last T20i of a three match bilateral series…
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
King Kohli
Captain Kohli
King Kohli— bhaavna arora (@BhaavnaArora)
That match—and particularly the run chase—was a helluva lot of fun. After Dhawan’s stunning shot-making Australia fought really hard to take it deep on a tricky pitch. It was the perfect situation fo♓r Kohli though; he now averages 120.62 in successful T20I run chases.
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket)
Virat Kohli has remained Not Out 14 times when chasing in T20Is and India won ♎the match e🐈very time.
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath)
Virat Kohli — batting at No.3 — the position he owns — wins it for India.
Kohli in chases in T20Is
Innings 27
Runs 1231
Average 82.06
50s 13
SR 135
Master of chasesAnd D🌸inesh Karthik has remained unbeaten on 9 occasions i🎃n T20Is — India have won all 9 games!
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang)
Krunal Pandya – Man of the Match: 4-0-36-4
Shikhar Dhawan – Man of the series – scores of 76 and 41 in 2 games
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz)
Funny moments durin𒁏g the presentation ceremony.
— betvisa68.com (@CricketTimesHQ)
