'Terrific performance': Axar, Sundar showered with praise after India go 2-1 up over Australia with big win in 4th T20

Team India collected back-to-back wins for the first time in their ongoing white-ball tour of Australia, defeating the Mitchell Marsh-led hosts by 48 runs to go 2-1 up in the five-match T20I series on Wednesday. After suffering a 1-2 loss in the ODI leg of the tour, the T20I series began on a damp note with a washout in the series opener in Perth, which was followed by a four-wicket loss in Melbourne.

India, however, had bounced back with a five-wicket victory in the third T20I in Hobart on Sunday. And four days after successfully chasing down a target of 187, the Men in Blue found themselves leading a series for the first time in their ongoing tour after thrashing the Mitchell Marsh-led hosts by 48 runs at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast, Queensland.

More from First Cricket

With Axar and Sundar's success in Australia, Indian spin-all-rounders finding their mojo back under coach Gambhir How India and Shubman Gill were robbed of a run in 4th T20 vs Australia in Gold Coast

Axar, Sundar lead the way in Gold Coast

All-rounder Axar Patel was the star of the show for his all-round performance, smashing an unbeaten 21 off just 11 deliveries that helped India post a competitive 167/8 on the board, which was followed by a haul of 2/20 from four overs, getting rid of top-order batters Matthew Short and Josh Inglis.

Fellow spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar was also among the wickets, striking thrice in nine deliveries while giving away just three runs. Sundar got rid of Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett in successive deliveries in the 17th over of Australia’s chase, missing out on a hat-trick in the same over, before sealing India’s triumph with his dismissal of Zampa in the penultimate over.

Here’s how former cricketers and other experts, as well as supporters of the Indian cricket team reacted to the victory:

Washington Sundar wraps things up in style 👌

A terrific performance from #TeamIndia as they win the 4⃣th T20I by 4⃣8⃣ runs. 👏👏

They now have a 2⃣-1⃣ lead in the #AUSvIND T20I series with 1⃣ match to play. 🙌

Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/OYJNZ57GLX pic.twitter.com/QLh2SRqW9U

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 6, 2025

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

'Won't require surgery...': Real reason behind Jasprit Bumrah's absence from 5th Test revealed in new report

PCB bans players from WCL over India-Pakistan match controversy

Axar Patel keeps improving all the time. he can bowl with the new ball, gets top order batters out, play match-winning cameos, and comes across as a sharp and smart fighter. All-rounder ho toh bapu jaisa. @akshar2026

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 6, 2025

- Batting ✅
- Bowling ✅
- Fielding ✅

Axar Patel won the Player of the match award. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/PG6pUMr6JM

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 6, 2025

Varun + Axar + Sundar: 9.2 overs of spin, 49 runs and six wickets! Impressive win for India, but for God’s sake, batting approach needs to change please#INDvsAUS

— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) November 6, 2025

Washington sundar can certainly bowl

— Prasanna (@prasannalara) November 6, 2025

The Men in Blue have been on a roll in the shortest format since the start of 2024, winning the T20 World Cup along with the way with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side by example after succeeding Rohit Sharma as captain in the format.

And with their clinical performance in Gold Coast on Thursday, India have ensured they will have one hand on the trophy at the very least, even if they end up losing the series finale in Brisbane on Saturday.