NEW DELHI: India outplayed Australia in all departments, registering an emphatic 48-run victory in the fourth T20I in Carrara on Thursday to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Varun Chakravarthy owns Maxwell again, dismisses him for the 6th time in 9 T20 innings
With this commanding win, India maintained their unbeaten record in bilateral T20I series in Australia (involving two or more matches). They have now won two series and drawn two on Australian soil - and the ongoing contest has ensured that streak remains intact.
Lowest T20I totals for Australia at home
111 vs NZ Sydney 2022
119 vs Ind Gold Coast 2025
127 vs Pak Melbourne 2010
131 vs Ind Melbourne 2011
Australia went 1-0 up in the series with a four-wicket win in the second match at the MCG, after the first game in Canberra was washed out. India then bounced back with back-to-back victories in Hobart and Carrara.
The final T20 will be played in Brisbane on November 8.
Chasing a 168-run target, Australia were bundled out for 119 - their second-lowest total at home in T20Is, behind 111 all out against New Zealand in Sydney in 2022.
Lowest targets successfully defended vs Aus in Australia (T20I)
162 by India Canberra 2020
168 by India Gold Coast 2025 *
179 by England Canberra 2022
185 by India Melbourne 2016
185 by India Adelaide 2016
India's total in the Gold Coast T20I also ranks among the lowest targets successfully defended against Australia in Australia. The only lower successful defence came in Canberra in 2020, when India defended 162.
The architects of India's win were Axar Patel and Shivam Dube who shared two wickets each to put Australia on the backfoot in the run chase.
Washington Sundar struck thrice towards the end as India comfortably defended 168 with Australia folding up for 119 in 18.2 overs after being 91/3 at one stage.
Arshdeep Singh too picked a wicket in the middle overs and the game seemed done and dusted when Glenn Maxwell saw his exposed stumps disturbed off the last ball of Varun Chakaravarthy's fourth over.
