Australia vs India, 3rd T20I Match Summary

Right! That is it from the T20Is! Two rain-marred ones and a third proved to be a nice game - batsmen scoring runs and then bowlers pegging things back. India have announced themselves with the white ball. However, their major issues have been with the red ball. The 4-match Test series starts from Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 10.30 am local (0000 GMT). ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

Victorious Indian captain, Virat Kohli, gives the credit of the win to the Indian openers. Stresses further that the wicket slowed down in the middle overs and India had a few tricky moments but then praises Dinesh Karthik for showing great composure. Praises Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa for doing well with the ball and forcing the batsmen to take risks. Points out that the former has a gut feeling of a batsmen so it was hard to score off him. Mentions that skill-wise, India were better than Australia today. On Dhawan and Rohit, Virat is amazed at their consistency and the way they score runs. Does not want to think too much about the loss in the first game, marking it as a one-off. Heaps more words of praise for Krunal Pandya whose accurate bowling helped the Indians tie down the Aussies in the middle overs. Terms their bowling performance as professional and informs that they felt 180 would have been a good total here. Further states that 15 runs less was a bonus for them. Laughs when asked about his anger over the Melbourne weather and says that it is something uncontrollable and they have to accept it as a sportsman. Praises the crowd for coming in large numbers and states that it has always been like this at MCG and SCG, especially.

Australian skipper, Aaron Finch, praises India for batting extremely well in the Powerplay. Admits that it was very difficult to come back from there. Also says that Australia themselves had a moment of madness with the bat, losing 2 wickets in an over which hurt their momentum. Praises his bowlers though, for taking it till the end but cheekily admits that India were always in control. Lauds the bowling of Maxwell and Zampa and has a word of praise for Tye as well. Also agrees that there is not much room for error when you bowl to class batsmen like Kohli or the Indian openers. On the flaws in this game, Aaron identifies their sluggish scoring in the middle overs, especially after the great start but is quick to state that Australia are heading in the right direction. He is confident about his own form and is feeling very confident about the upcoming Test series.

SHIKHAR DHAWAN HAS BEEN NAMED THE PLAYER OF THE SERIES. On the cheer that he gets, Dhawan jokes that probably they love him a lot. Then says that he loves to entertain people and tonight, it was a great game of cricket. Terms it as a good game of cricket and repeats that it's good to see a full house and support for India. Is confident that India will do well in the upcoming Test series too and hopes to get the same support from the crowd. On his knock in this game, Shikhar says that he enjoyed his innings and feels great that India could level the series.

KRUNAL PANDYA HAS BEEN NAMED THE MAN OF THE MATCH. He says that it feels great to contribute to a winning cause. Admits that he felt downcast after a poor first T20I but then told himself that he needs to buck up and do better. Does not want to focus on any one wicket and feels that every dismissal that he got was worth remembering. Thanks the support staff for backing him and adds that, as a team, their best part is that they back every player.

Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell were the standout performers with the ball while Mitchell Starc, making a comeback in this format, also looked impressive. This match was owned by the spin bowlers with Krunal Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav doing all the damage in the first innings. While batting, Australia also got a good start from their openers but failed to capitalize. If it was not for the partnership between Nathan Coulter-Nile and Marcus Stoinis at the death, they would not have even crossed the 150-run mark.

Chasing a tricky target, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan went berserk from the word go. They lit the SCG with their outstanding shots and thoroughly entertained the crowd dominated by the Indian fans. They departed in quick succession but Virat Kohli (batting at 3) looked in fine touch. A couple of wickets went down on back-to-back balls in the middle overs but just when it appeared that the Kangaroos will get on top, the Indian skipper formed an alliance with Dinesh Karthik to dash all the hopes of the Australian team.

Fantastic win for India! The fact that it's their skipper who has steered them home puts the cherry on the cake. Not to underestimate the opening partnership and Dinesh Karthik's contribution in the stand with Virat Kohli. Australia fought hard in the field but eventually, their sorry performance in the Powerplay cost them the game.

FOUR! INDIA WIN BY 6 WICKETS! Kohli finishes it off in style! He has his arms afloat in celebration. Skipper leading from the front. Andrew Tye dishes out a length delivery outside off, Kohli attacks it with all his might and muscles it over mid-wicket for a boundary. All over, India have levelled the series.

FOUR! Scores are leveled! Tye serves it on a length and around middle and off, Kohli gives it the full whack of his bat and spanks it over the bowler's head. No chance for the long on fielder.

Another slower delivery, on the shorter side and wide outside off. Kohli flashes and misses. He isn't pleased that it's not given as a wide.

Beaten! Knuckle delivery, on a length and outside off, Kohli is early into the swing of his bat and misses.

Andrew Tye continues...

Short and angling down the leg side, Karthik is early into the pull shot and it seems to have taken the bottom half of his blade. Squirts to deep square leg and they collect a brace. 11 from the over, only 5 more needed.

Starc goes short around off, the Indian skipper stands tall to pull it to deep mid-wicket for a run. 50-run stand comes up, it has come in good time too.

Wristy this time. Starc slants in a length ball on middle, Karthik flicks it in front of square leg and crosses.

FOUR! Shot, DK! Starc overpitches outside off, Karthik brings down an angled bat and drives it square of the wicket on the off side. It speeds all along the turf, no chance for sweeper cover.

Sharp delivery, at 143 kph, angling in on a good length, Kohli is early into the shot and fails to connect. It hits his pads and rolls near the surface as they steal a leg bye.

Starc steams in from 'round the wicket and spears in a fuller length ball on middle, Kohli flicks it past the diving mid-wicket fielder for a couple of runs.

Mitchell Starc is back on to bowl the penultimate over. 16 runs needed.

Was that a catch? No, says the umpire. Full and outside off, Karthik looks to swing hard but gets it off the inside edge back to the bowler. Tye runs forward and catches and appeals but the umpire turns it down. The bowler is claiming that the ball took the inside edge, hit the pads and then lobbed back to him. However, the umpire was certain that the ball had bounced. 11 from the over, 36 in the last 3!

SIX! Off the top edge! My word, bats these days... A short ball, outside off, Karthik looks to pull but is done in by the bounce. Gets a thick top edge which sails over mid-wicket! 16 more needed from 13 balls now!

19th T20I Fifty for Kohli! 5th vs Australia, 4th IN AUSTRALIA. Wow. Gets there in a bit of an unorthodox manner. A short ball, outside off, slower in pace, Virat looks to pull but is early into the shot. Gets a thick inside edge which goes past the stumps to fine leg! A single taken.

Comes down the track and eases it to long off for a run.

Shorter in length, outside off, slapped through the covers for a single.

On a length around off, worked wide of mid-wicket for a very quick couple. Excellent running.

Risky shot but no harm done. Quicker, flatter and shorter in line of the stumps, Karthik tries to pull it with a reverse bat but gets a top edge behind the keeper. By the time it's pulled back, they take a couple. 13 from this over. 27 needed off 18 balls, India's game to lose.

Direct hit would have been curtains for Karthik. He plays towards the right of the bowler and sets off for a single. Maxwell immediately runs across, puts in a slide, picks up the ball and aims at the bowler's end. Fails to hit the target otherwise DK would have been a goner. Not backed up and they run the extra run as well.

Fires it shorter and quicker down the leg side, Kohli goes back and pulls it in front of square leg for one.

SIX! A risk-free shot by Kohli. He uses his feet to get down the track, reaches the pitch of the ball and then nonchalantly flicks it with the spin over mid-wicket. Effortless.