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Preview: India will aim to complete a clean sweep and conclude their Australia tour on a positive note by winning the third Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Sunday. India have already clinched the three-match series, having won the first two matches in Adelaide and Melbourne by 37 and 27 runs respectively. A win on Sunday will help the visitors get over the 1-4 thrashing in the One-Day International (ODI) series. The Indians will once again depend on a strong batting line-up which has done well in the previous two matches. Rohit Sharma has taken his superb form from the ODI series into the 20-over format while his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan has found his touch after struggling with his form since the Test and one-day series against South Africa at home. [caption id=“attachment_2599452” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File picture of Virat Kohli. AP[/caption] Virat Kohli has been excellent at the number three position, scoring a whirlwind half-century in the second T20I and will be hoping to carry on in the same vein in the third match as well. The veteran Yuvraj Singh is yet to get a game in this series and the talented left-hander will be eager to get a chance to get into the groove as the Indians gear up for the World T20 tournament which they host in March-April this year. Some of the Indian youngsters have done well with medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah being the find of the tour. The 22-year-old from Ahmedabad had a sensational debut, producing figures of 3/23 to be the most successful bowler in the first T20I at Adelaide. He followed it up with another couple of wickets in the third game at Melbourne and is currently the highest wicket-taking bowler in the series. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has also put in an excellent performance, playing a crucial role in the win at Melbourne by capturing the wickets of Shane Watson and James Faulkner and taking care of the dangerous Aaron Finch with a nice bit of fielding. The Australians on the other hand, will aim to salvage some pride by staving off a complete Indian sweep. They will miss their in-form captain Finch who is down with an injury to his left hamstring. They will be led by experienced all-rounder Shane Watson. The 34-year-old Watson is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 41 victims and his tally of 1,191 runs is second only to hard-hitting opener David Warner’s haul of 1,465. The hosts will continue to miss the services of their head coach Darren Lehmann, who has been sidelined since being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis on January 23. The former left-handed batsman missed the fifth and final ODI with India as well as the whole of the T20I series. Michael di Venuto will continue to serve as his replacement. A win in the third T20I will also boost the Australians’ morale ahead of the upcoming tour of New Zealand where they will play three ODIs and two Test matches. But the hosts will field a weakened line-up for Sunday’s game as they have sent several players to New Zealand to prepare for the ODI series that starts there on Wednesday. That means they will miss the likes of Steven Smith, John Hastings, Kane Richardson and Matthew Wade. There are concerns over the form of some of the available players as well. Top order batsman Chris Lynn has struggled against spin, while off-spinner Nathan Lyon had a forgettable T20I debut at Melbourne, conceding 15 runs in the only over he bowled. Fast bowler Shaun Tait also endured an unhappy comeback, giving away 45 runs in four wicketless overs in the first match – his least economical T20I till date. IANS
India vs Australia 3rd T20I as it happened: Raina, Yuvraj help India achieve whitewash
Live scores and updates of Australia vs India 3rd T20I at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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http://www.firstpost.comThat’s it! India win by 7 wickets. With 2 needed off the last ball, Raina hits a four to win it for India.
Yuvraj flicks the first ball behind square leg for a four and then whips the next one for a six over deep mid-wicket. He then goes for a slog sweep but misses and they run through for a wide it was very close to a wide. Raine then takes a couple of twos to bring it down to 2 needed off the last ball. Raina then slashes the last ball over point for a boundary to hit the winning runs. What a finish! What a gem of an innings by Raina, 49 not out off 25 balls. Yuvraj lifts Raina on the shoulders. The entire Indian squad rushes onto the field. Wonderful scenes.
After 19 overs, India 181/3 (Raina 41, Yuvraj 5)
Brilliant over from Watson. He kept is really full. Just 5 off it. India need 17 off the last over.
After 18 overs, India 176/3 (Raina 40, Yuvraj 1)
Raina is playing a gem here. After a couple of twos. He goes for a slash but gets an outside edge wide of the diving keeper for a boundary. He then shuffles and paddles the last one through fine leg for consecutive fours. 12 runs off the over. 22 needed off 12 balls.
After 17 overs, India 164/3 (Raina 28, Yuvraj 1)
9 runs off the Watson, still a decent one given the circumstances. Raina paddled one behind square leg for a four to start the over but then Watson hit back to concede just five off the next five balls. Yuvraj is struggling with 1 from 4 balls. He needs to get going. 34 needed off 18 now.
After 16 overs, India 156/3 (Raina 22, Yuvraj 0)
Raina has started off really well and he needs to make full use of the lifeline provided to him after his stumpng was missed early on. He flicks one to fine leg for a boundary and then steers one to backward point for a couple. Tye hits back with a brilliant slower bouncer to end the over. 9 runs off the over. 42 needed off 24 balls.
After 15 overs, India 147/3 (Raina 13, Yuvraj 0)
8 runs and a wicket off the over. A fantastic spell ends. Boyce finishes with 4-0-28-2. Best bowler so far for Australia. India need 51 off 30 balls.
OUT! Kohli gets to his fifty but then drags one onto the stumps next ball. A huge wicket for Australia. V Kohli b Boyce 50 (36b 2×4 1×6)
Kohli drives one through covers for a couple and gets to his fifty but then departs the next ball as he chips down the track and looks to drive but gets an bottom edge onto his shoes and then onto the stumps.
Yuvraj Singh finally gets to bat in this series as he walks out to the middle.
After 14 overs, India 139/2 (Kohli 40, Raina 13)
Another good over for India. Clever cricket, five singles and a four which Raina flicks to fine leg. 59 needed off 36 now.
After 13 overs, India 130/2 (Kohli 40, Raina 6)
A very good over from Boyce. He could have had two wickets in that over but for a stumping missed by ancroft. Boyce removed Rohit and then Raina charged down the track but it spins back in to beat his inside edge, Bancroft fumbles and allows Raina to get back in. Raina then adds insult to injury as he hits the next one over deep mid-wicket for a six. 8 runs and a wicket off the over.
OUT! Boyce strikes. It’s a big wicket of Rohit.
Full on middle and off, it’s flighted. Rohit stays in his crease and flicks it straight to mid-wicket. A very good innings ends. Boyce has bowled really well so far.
Suresh Raina is the new batsman.
After 12 overs, India 122/1 (Rohit 51, Kohli 39)
Another fifty for Rohit and now they are motoring on. He heaves a slower delivery through mid-wicket for a boundary. Four singles and a couple make it 10 runs off the over. 76 needed off 48 balls now.
After 10 overs, India 112/1 (Rohit 45, Kohli 35)
Finally a boundary for India as Rohit hammers a full toss into the second tier over deep mid-wicket. Four more singles make it 10 runs off the over.
After 10 overs, India 102/1 (Rohit 37, Kohli 33)
A decent over by Tait by his standards. Just six runs off it. Australia have done well to pull it back in the last couple of overs, just 11 runs.
After 9 overs, India 91/1 (Rohit 35, Kohli 29)
An excellent over from Boyce. Just five runs off it. The 50-stand comes up off 36 balls. 102 needed off 11 overs.
After 8 overs, India 91/1 (Rohit 32, Kohli 27)
Really smart cricket from India. Rohit gets a four first ball as he cuts a wide one through point for a boundary. They batsmen then rely on placement for easy singles and a quick couple to make it 10 runs off the over.
After 7 overs, India 81/1 (Rohit 26, Kohli 23)
Australian haven’t been very pro active in the field and a misfield in that over helped India gain extra two runs. Still, a very good over from Boyce. He flighted them very well.