IND v AUS 2020: 3 highest totals chased down by India against Australia in T20Is
After India won the toss and elected to field first in the 2nd T20I against Australia, the hosts put on an imposing total of 194/5 in their 20 overs.
Matthew Wade, who is leading the side in the absence of Aaron Finch, got his team off to a great start. Australia finished the powerplay at 59/1, and although their captain was dismissed in the 8th over for a 32-ball 58, they didn't lose momentum.
Glenn Maxwell played a brisk cameo in which he hit two sixes, while Steve Smith turned over the strike before unleashing a couple of big hits himself against Yuzvendra Chahal in the final 5 overs. Marcus Stoinis and Moises Henriques added the finishing touches to the innings.
India have a task on their hands if they are to chase down the 195-run target, and it will be their third-highest run-chase against Australia in T20I cricket if they manage to pull it off.
The Men in Blue have an excellent win percentage of 70% while chasing against the Kangaroos, so they'll back themselves to overhaul the target at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Here are the 3 highest successful run-chases by India against Australia in T20Is.
India's highest successful run-chases against Australia in T20Is
#3 167 - Mumbai, 2007
In one of the first-ever games they played in the T20I format, India chased down Australia's total of 166 with 7 wickets to spare.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting was the star of the show for the Aussies with his 76 off 53, and he had some support from Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke. Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh bowled decent spells to check the flow of runs.
In response, an 82-run second-wicket partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa made up for the early loss of Virender Sehwag, before Yuvraj Singh chipped in with a useful cameo.
India got over the line in the 19th over, and Gambhir was adjudged the Man of the Match for his 63.
#2 198 - Sydney, 2016
At the same venue as the ongoing T20I, India chased down Australia's total of 197 with 7 wickets in hand back in 2016.
Australian captain Shane Watson won the toss and elected to bat first, and he reaped the benefits of his decision. He picked apart the Indian bowling attack to finish on an unbeaten 71-ball 124, with the next highest score in the Aussie batting effort being 26 from Travis Head.
India had a mountain to climb in the chase. Fifties from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, apart from a 9-ball 26 from Shikhar Dhawan, got them off to a decent start. Cameos from Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh got India over the line off the final ball of the innings, and the match remains the hosts' only T20I loss at the SCG.
Although he ended up on the losing side, Watson was awarded the Man of the Match for his spectacular innings.
#1 202 - Rajkot, 2013
A one-off T20I in 2013 saw Australia post 201/7 after being put in to bat by Indian captain MS Dhoni. Aaron Finch was the wrecker-in-chief for the visitors, with his 89 off 52 balls putting India on the backfoot.
Nic Maddinson gave his opening partner company, but the Indian bowlers pulled things back in the middle overs thanks to 3-wicket hauls from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Vinay Kumar.
Although the Men in Blue kept up with the required run rate in the chase, they lost wickets at regular intervals. After Virat Kohli was dismissed in the 12th over with only 100 on the board, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni forged a 102-run fifth-wicket partnership to take India home with 2 balls to spare.
For his 77, Yuvraj was adjudged the Man of the Match.