Bengaluru, Feb 27: lenn Maxwell fired Australia to their maiden T20 series win over India with a sensational hundred, overshadowing India skipper Virat Kohli’s special effort in the second and final match here on Wednesday.
Maxwell (113 not out off 55 balls) went on a rampage, smashing as many as nine sixes on way to his third century in the shortest format. He took the game away from India, who should have defended 190 for four after Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni shared a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket to take the hosts to a competitive total.
In the end, Australia cantered to a famous seven-wicket win with Maxwell fittingly finishing the game with a six and four.
Prior to the game, Australia had never beaten India in a T20 series, home or away. They had beaten India way back in 2008 at Melbourne but that was a one-off game.
The visitors kept themselves in the chase despite a wobbly start which saw them being reduced to 22 for two in four overs.
Opener D’Arcy Short and Maxwell shared a 73-run stand off 43 balls to keep the game on even knell before the former fell in the 12th over.
India had to defend with only five bowling options which required all-rounder Vijay Shankar to complete his quote of four overs.
Shankar (2/38), who did not bowl in his last three T20s, put up a decent effort, picking up wickets of Short and Finch. Short could not last long after being dropped on 36 by Rishabh Pant.
Australia remained very much in the game with Maxwell plundering the Indian attack in the middle.
It was anyone’s game as Australia needed 60 off the last 30 balls with seven wickets in hand.
Maxwell smashed Yuzvendra Chahal for two handsome sixes, including a spectacular reverse hit, to tilt the game in Australia’s favour.
Earlier, skipper Kohli and Dhoni delighted the Chinnaswamy crowd with a 100-run stand.
Kohli led from the front in a must-win tie, hammering an unbeaten 72 off 38 balls in a knock including half a dozen sixes while Dhoni played the supporting role well with 40 off 23 balls.
It was a typical Dhoni innings that comprised three fours and as many sixes and came after a rather slow 29 off 37 balls in Vizag on Sunday night.
Opener K L Rahul was amongst runs again, scoring 47 off 26 in front of his home crowd. (PTI)
SCOREBOARD
India Innings:
Lokesh Rahul c J Richardson b Nile 47
Shikhar Dhawan c Stoinis b Behrendorff 14
Virat Kohli not out 72
Rishabh Pant c J Richardson b Short 1
MS Dhoni c Finch b P Cummins 40
Dinesh Karthik not out 8
Extras: (lb-3, w-5) 8
Total: (for 4 wickets in 20 Overs) 190
Bowling: Jason Behrendorff 3-0-17-1, Jhye Richardson 4-0-45-0, Nathan Coulter-Nile 3-0-33-1, Pat Cummins 3-0-40-1, Adam Zampa 4-0-23-0, D Arcy Short 3-0-29-1.
Australia Innings:
D’Arcy Short c Rahul b Shankar 40
Marcus Stoinis b Kaul 7
Aaron Finch c Dhawan b Shankar 8
Glenn Maxwell not out 113
Peter Handscomb not out 20
Extras: (LB-1, NB-1, W-4) 6
Total: (for 3 wickets in 19.4 overs) 194
Bowling: Vijay Shankar 4-0-38-2, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-30-0, Siddharth Kaul 3.4-0-45-1, Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-47-0, Krunal Pandya 4-0-33-0.
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