Ind vs Aus 2020 ODI series: How the 3rd ODI panned out and what was the turning point in the game
India beat Australia by 13 runs in the third ODI at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The visitors may have already lost the series by losing the first two games, but in the final game, they stepped onto the field with much more intent to record their first win of the tour.
Despite the game being a dead rubber, both teams gave it their all to produce a thriller. Riding on half-centuries from Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, India posted a competitive total of 302-5. In response, a disciplined bowling effort from the visitors ensured that Australia fell short by 13 runs.
On that note, let us have a look at how the match panned out and what the turning point in the game was.
Middle-order fightback helps India post a competitive total
A beautiful day greeted the two sides as Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the final ODI between India and Australia in Canberra.
With the dead rubber providing an opportunity to test the fringe players, both teams made a slew of changes.
India made four changes to their lineup that played the second ODI: Shubman Gill, debutant T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav came in for Mayank Agarwal, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Australia rang in three changes: David Warner, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc made way for debutant Cameron Green, Sean Abott and Ashton Agar.
The Indian team started their innings on a steady note. Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill put on 26 runs for the first wicket before the former was caught at cover while trying to take the attack to Sean Abbott.
With wickets falling at regular intervals, captain Virat Kohli looked good with the bat, scoring his second fifty of the series, but couldn't push on to make a big hundred. The visitors looked on course for an underwhelming total, as Kohli's wicket reduced India to 152/5 in the 32nd over. However, allrounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja had other ideas.
The duo steadied the Indian ship by accumulating the ones and twos before cutting loose in the final ten overs.
The left-right combination troubled the Australian bowlers, who struggled with their lines and lengths, especially in the death overs. While Pandya was severe on Cameron Green, Jadeja took a special liking to Sean Abbott in the 48th over, smashing him for 19 runs.
The last ten overs of the innings yielded 110 runs, as Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja put on India's highest sixth-wicket partnership against Australia in ODIs.
During his fabulous counterattacking partnership with Jadeja, who scored 66 off 50, Pandya brought up his best score in ODIs, finishing on an unbeaten knock of 92 off 76 balls.
This crucial partnership in the middle order helped the Indian team set up a fighting total of 302, with the last five overs producing 59 runs, which helped swing the momentum the way of the beleaguered visitors.
Half-centuries from Aaron Finch and Glen Maxwell kept Australia in the hunt
Chasing 303 runs for a series clean sweep, the new-look Australian opening partnership of Marnus Labuschange and Aaron Finch couldn't get going, as debutant T Natarajan scalped the latter in the sixth over.
It was a massive wicket, as India had failed to pick up a wicket in the powerplay in six consecutive games before this one.
While the new-ball bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Natarajan troubled the Australian top order with their consistency and seam movement, the Indian fielders were guilty of providing two reprieves.
In the seventh over of the Australian innings, Bumrah, with his probing line outside the off-stump, found an edge off Finch, but Shikhar Dhawan spilled a regulation first-slip catch.
Finch rode his luck once again when Hardik Pandya failed to hit the stumps from short mid-wicket in the very next over. The Australian skipper provided yet another chance off Bumrah in the ninth over, with the bowler himself culpable of dropping a tough catch on the follow-through.
Glenn Maxwell's wicket turned the game India's way
Despite the rub of the green going his way, Finch finally perished after scoring a well-compiled 75 runs off 82 balls.
His half-century was studded with seven boundaries and three massive hits over the fence. However, his wicket at the halfway stage of the Australian innings provided India an opening. But the game was not done yet, as Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell were in the middle.
Maxwell continued his sublime form in the ODI series by smashing the Indian bowlers all around the park. During his blistering knock of 59 off 38 balls, Maxwell scored three boundaries and four hits over the fence.
The 32-year-old was particularly severe on debutant T Natarajan, smashing the left-armer for 18 runs in the 44th over. At that point, Australia needed 35 runs off 33 balls with four wickets in hand. However, Jasprit Bumrah provided the spark for the visiting side to get back into the game.
The 26-year-old showed why he is one of the best bowlers in white-ball cricket, and why his ability at the death is exceptional, to say the least.
In the 45th over, Bumrah bowled the perfect yorker to dismiss the dangerous Maxwell. The wicket was a turning point in the game, as the Australian lower order failed to get going before folding up 13 runs short of their target.