India defeated Australia by five wickets in the 3rd T20I of the five-match series at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. After being invited to bat, Arshdeep Singh gave India an early advantage by dismissing Travis Head and Josh Inglis before the fourth over. However, blazing half-centuries from Tim David and Marcus Stoinis powered Australia to a total of 186/6 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh (3/35 in 4 overs) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/33 in 4 overs) led India’s bowling attack with impressive spells.
While chasing, openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill gave India a fiery start. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma also made useful contributions. Although runs came freely, India kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma then played attacking knocks that helped India cross the finish line. Washington narrowly missed his half-century, remaining unbeaten on 49. Nathan Ellis (3/36 in 4 overs) bowled well for Australia, but his efforts fell short as India won the match with nine balls to spare. With this victory, India leveled the series 1-1.
Arshdeep’s early strikes, David’s counterattack
Arshdeep struck twice early, removing Head and Inglis to put Australia under pressure. But Tim David launched a fierce counterattack, showing no fear despite the early setbacks.
He hit his first ball for four and later smashed Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy for big hits. David was dropped on 20 by Washington Sundar — a moment that proved costly. He then tore into Axar Patel, hitting two massive sixes, one of which reportedly could have traveled 129 meters if it hadn’t hit the roof.
David reached his half-century in just 23 balls and shared a 59-run stand with Mitchell Marsh, who made only 5. He handled Chakravarthy confidently this time, hitting two more sixes before falling for 74 off 38 balls. Tilak Varma took a superb catch off Shivam Dube at long-off to end his blistering innings.
Stoinis and Short add late runs
After David’s dismissal, Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Short guided Australia to a competitive 186 for 6. Stoinis looked sharp, hitting four boundaries off Arshdeep in the final overs before holing out. Short, who had struggled in previous matches, made an unbeaten 26 off 15.
Bumrah and Arshdeep bowled tight in the last two overs to prevent a bigger total, showing control and precision under pressure.
Abhishek Sharma’s bright start, Ellis strikes again
In reply, Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start with two fours and two sixes as India raced to 30 for 0 in just three overs. However, Nathan Ellis dismissed him for the third time in the series with a sharp bouncer at 147 kph.
Suryakumar Yadav continued the momentum with quick boundaries, but Ellis struck again to remove Shubman Gill lbw. Suryakumar then fell for 24 off 11, leaving India with a few hiccups despite being ahead of the required rate.
Washington and Jitesh guide India home
Although Washington didn’t bowl, he proved his worth with the bat. Australia tried to bounce him out, but he punished those short deliveries with clean hitting into the leg-side stands.
Despite losing wickets regularly, India maintained the scoring rate. Washington hit a huge six off Matt Kuhnemann to bring the target below a run a ball. Jitesh played confidently, scooping Ellis for four and surviving a dropped catch.
Washington remained calm under pressure, driving Stoinis straight for four before Jitesh sealed the victory with a lofted shot over cover. India reached the target comfortably with nine balls to spare.
Brief Scorecard
India bounced back strongly after their previous defeat, led by Arshdeep’s early breakthroughs and Washington’s composed finish. The win leveled the series 1-1, setting up an exciting contest for the remaining matches.
India won the toss for the first time in the series and made three changes—Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, and Jitesh Sharma. All three played key roles as India chased down 187 with nine balls left at Bellerive Oval.
Arshdeep starred with the ball, earning the Player of the Match award for his 3 for 35. He dismissed Travis Head, Josh Inglis, and Marcus Stoinis, who top-scored for Australia with 64 runs. Varun Chakravarthy picked up two wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah bowled economically.
In the chase, all of India’s top seven contributed. But Washington and Jitesh sealed the win with a match-winning 43-run unbeaten stand. Washington, who did not bowl, scored 49 not out off 23 balls — his second-highest T20I score. Jitesh, returning after 18 months, added a steady 22 not out off 13 deliveries. Stay tuned with JUSZNEWS for regular updates!