A sensational India fightback: When the Men in Blue last met Australia in a T20I series -

India vs Australia, a rivalry that perhaps isn’t as old as England-Australia but certainly has been more intense and invigorating in the past decade. As the build-up for the T20 World Cup 2024 starts, the two titans of cricket will face off for a 5-match T20I series in India. While this series is at the forefront, one must not forget what happened the last time these two sides faced each other in a T20I series.

A battle for the ages occurred the last time Australia faced India in T20Is. Team India led by Rohit Sharma came back after being downed by the Aussies in the first T20I and staged a remarkable fightback tale, that’ll be remembered for ages.

India had lost the first T2OI to Australia in Mohali despite an impressive 208 for 6 off their 20 overs. In hindsight, India should have probably scored a few more after KL Rahul’s blazing half-century at the top of the order. The problem was India had lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply and the bulk of the rebuilding process had to be carried out by Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav, who will lead India this time. SKY smashed 46 off 25 and the pair added 68 off 8 overs. India then pressed Hardik Pandya into service and the gun all-rounder plundered 71 off 30, leaving a trail of destruction in the later overs.

However, the chase turned out to be a breeze for Australia. Aaron Finch and Cameron Green were in shock and awe mood that night. Finch perished first but by then, the Aussies had raced away to 39 in the 4th over. Steve Smith, not exactly known for his flair in the shortest format, played one of his memorable T20 knocks for Australia – an ultra-aggressive 35 off 24. There was never really any doubt of an Australian victory that evening and the finishing touches were laid by Matthew Wade, who stormed to a 21-ball 45 and remained unbeaten to see his side through.

A comeback for the ages

The second match was affected by rain and was cut short to 8 overs per side. Australia came out all guns blazing and scored 90 runs from their 8 overs. Chasing over 11 runs an over, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma led the side from the front, scoring 46 in 20 balls, and got help from Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, who scored 11 off 6 and 10 off 2, respectively.

By winning the second match, India gained parity in the 3-match series and had their eyes set on the prize.

If the first two matches of the series showed us anything, it was that the series would end on a high note. The two sides produced yet another nail-biter to end the proceedings.

India gained an advantage over Australia after winning the toss and electing to bowl first. Cameron Green started strong, smashing a memorable fifty off just 19 balls. However, having already lost their skipper Aaron Finch, the Aussies soon lost Cameron as he nicked one off on a wide line ball by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Aussies found themselves from 44-0 to 62-2 in a space of 9 balls. A poor show by their middle order saw them succumb to 117-6 with Tim David on the crease. That’s when the game changed on its head. David, with assistance from Daniel Sams, took Australia from 117-6 to 186-7 at the end of 20 overs.

India started their innings in a contrasting manner. While Australia scored 66 runs in the powerplay for the loss of two wickets, India managed just to score just 50, losing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul on the way. However, unlike Australia, the Indian middle order took on the game. Virat Kohli took on the role of the anchor, while Suryakumar Yadav donned the role of the aggressor.

Kohli struck at 131, and while Surya was talking, the game was on strike at over 190. Their 104-run stand in just 10.2 overs took the game away from the Kangaroos. Their middle-over dominance meant that India needed just 53 runs in the last six overs. While Surya was sent packing, Kohli took over. He continued to play the second fiddle while Hardik Pandya took Surya’s role. The game went to the wire, with India requiring 11 of the last over. KKohli,who was silent so far, hit a first-ball six. India now needs 5 off 5; however, the match isn’t over yet. Sams bowled a slot ball outside off, but Kohli picked Finch at extra cover and in walked Dinesh Karthik. A single and a dot followed, and India now needed 4 off 2 balls. Hardik had none of it; he finished the match by guiding the ball to the third man and sealing the match and the series.