India pulled off an incredible chase in the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I), winning the game by seven wickets and completing a 3-0 whitewash. India’s mature batting performance in the match that was relegated to the status of a ‘dead rubber’ showed their hunger for winning in the country that mostly has had nightmares for them in the past. There are a number of positive aspects that India can carry from this game into their preparation for the upcoming tournaments — especially the run-of-form of the top-order batsmen as well as the return of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh into the limited-overs side. Amit Banerjee presents to you five highlights from the match that shaped the game to the classic that it eventually turned out to be. FULL SCORECARD: India vs Australia 2015-16, 3rd T20I at Sydney
1. Usman Khawaja’s forgettable debut: Among the most talked-about players in the Australian domestic circuit in recent time has been Usman Khawaja, who is seen somewhat as a batting sensation. While he has a firm foothold in the Australian Test side by now, it is the limited-overs squads that he was yet to make a comeback into.
Khawaja was finally considered for the final T20I after skipper Aaron Finch was ruled out due to an injured hamstring. Given his incredible run in the recent Big Bash League (BBL) 2016, a lot was expected from Khawaja in the series finale. He however, disappointed after edging an Ashish Nehra delivery coming into the batsman behind the stumps, departing for a lowly 14.
2. Shane Watson’s devastating return to form: With Finch ruled out of the final game, Watson decided to promote himself at the opening slot alongside Khawaja, and was the anchor of the Australian innings thereafter. After blocking his way for some time in the first few deliveries, Watson began to accelerate the innings by hammering the Indian bowlers all over the park. Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell departed in quick fashion, but Watson persisted, and continued to smash high above the boundary ropes, especially against India’s spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
It turned out to be the highest score by an Australian cricketer in his first match as T20I captain. He was also the first batsman to score a T20I century against India. Eventually, it was the unstoppable Watson carnage that helped Australia finish on a score within the range of 200. While Watson did have his fair share of luck as well — getting dropped on 56 and surviving a stumping chance later — his dominant display will live in the minds of his critics for a very long time. ALSO READ: MS Dhoni all praise for Indian bowlers following T20I series win over Australia
3. Shikhar Dhawan’s short burst puts India on track: Dhawan was at his attacking best in the series finale. The southpaw opener executed strokes with utmost finesse, utilising the pace of the likes of Shaun Tait to send the ball over midwicket regular interval (including majority of the 24 runs in the third over). India finished on a score of 46 for no loss in a little over three overs before getting dismissed off a leading edge behind the stumps while going for a cut.
4. Rohit-Kohli prove too good for the Australian attack: There is little to question when it comes to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli winning the ‘Man of the Match’ awards for the One-Day International (ODI) and T20I series’ respectively. The two are currently in the form of their life, and that signals great hope for the Indian camp if they are to regain the ICC World T20 trophy title in its upcoming edition in March-April in India.
The duo formed yet another outstanding partnership in which they scored heavily off the pacers, and tackled the spinners with ease and utmost flamboyance. The duo eventually brought up their half-centuries. Although their dismissals would put a bit of pressure into the Indian middle-order, their 78-run second-wicket stand helped form the foundation for India’s memorable chase of the challenging target.
5. Raina-Yuvraj persists under pressure: Kohli was dismissed, with Suresh Raina yet to get settled at the crease. The left-hander was nearly stumped off the second delivery that he had faced — the match would have had a very different outcome if wicketkeeper Cameron Bancroft had managed to collect the ball and complete the stumping. However, Raina and Yuvraj batting superbly under pressure in the last five overs of the game (during which the needed 51 runs off the last 30 balls).
It came down 17 runs off the last six balls, and Yuvraj Singh helped exorcise some of the ghosts of the ICC World T20 2014 with a four and a six that helped ease some of the pressure off Raina, who went on to hit the winning boundary off the final ball of the match, bowled by fresh-face Andrew Tye.
(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle@akb287)
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