What seemed like a formidable total on the board for Australia was clinically hunted down by a relentless Indian batting lineup in the third T20I. The Aussies had posted a commendable 186/6, built on the sheer power of Tim David and Marcus Stoinis. Yet, the chase saw damage inflicted by almost every Indian batter, from the fiery starts to the cool-headed partnership that finished the job.
It was the electrifying cameo from Jitesh Sharma and the breathtaking blitz from Washington Sundar that ultimately sailed India home with overs to spare, levelling the series in spectacular fashion. The immediate post-match sentiment from Australian captain Mitchell Marsh was a clear-eyed, honest assessment of where the game was lost: the first innings total.
Mitchell Marsh didn't hold back, stating, "Yeah, we were probably 20 runs short." He immediately gave "credit to India...they bowled really well," but at the same time, the Aussie skipper was proud of his own team's effort, "We gave it our best in the field, but they deserved the win." Pinpointing the critical deficit, he confessed, "We just needed those extra 20 runs."
Despite the ultimate failure to win, Marsh praised his own team’s efforts, noting, "I liked the intent from our batters, especially Tim David, who came in after early wickets and played superbly... Stoinis, too, showed great experience at the end." This razor-thin margin, he noted, is the painful reality of the format. As Marsh summarised, "In T20s, small margins, one or two good overs or bad overs can change everything."
The stand-in captain also provided an update on a key teammate, stating, "He (Maxwell) was close to playing today but not quite ready. Hopefully, he'll be fit and available for Thursday. He's such an experienced T20 campaigner. We'd love to have him back."
