Hobart
A composed unbeaten 49 by Washington Sundar guided India to a thrilling five-wicket win over Australia in the third T20I on Sunday, helping the visitors level the five-match series 1-1 after a dramatic chase of 187.
Earlier, India opted to bowl first after captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, returning to the side, struck twice in his opening spell to remove Travis Head and Josh Inglis, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 35. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with two wickets to restrict Australia to 186/6 despite blazing half-centuries from Tim David (74 off 38) and Marcus Stoinis (64 off 39).
Chasing 187, India started brightly with Abhishek Sharma’s quickfire 25 off 16 balls, but the top order faltered soon after. Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, and captain Suryakumar Yadav all departed inside 15 overs, leaving India reeling at 152/5.
With 60 runs needed from the final five overs, Washington Sundar took charge. Displaying calm under pressure, the all-rounder smashed two towering sixes and four boundaries in a match-winning display, steering India home with nine balls to spare. Jitesh Sharma remained unbeaten alongside Sundar, hitting the winning runs to seal victory at 187/5.
“The intent was to stay calm and back my shots,” said Sundar, who was named Player of the Match for his all-round brilliance. “It’s always special to contribute in tough situations.”
The five-match series now stands level at 1-1, with the fourth T20I set to be played in Adelaide on Wednesday. India will look to build on this momentum, while Australia aim to bounce back after their bowlers failed to defend a competitive total.