India completed a 3-0 white wash of its T20 series against Australia on Sunday night despite a century from stand-in Australian captain Shane Watson.
REPORT: INDIA WIN LAST-BALL THRILLER
Watson’s century helped Australia set an imposing total of 197 for India to chase but despite needing 17 balls off the last over the visitors were able to get the job done.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both put together half centuries to build the Indian innings while Suresh Raina (49 not out) hit the winnings runs.
Final score
Australia 5/197
India 3/200
A whitewash is on the cards when India take on Australia in the third and the final Twenty20 match of the three-game series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Join The Roar for a live blog of this match from 7:38 pm AEDT.
If the Australian selectors opted to experiment with their Twenty20 side in the lead-up to the World T20, and they do go on to do well in that competition, their shoddy showing in this series will be forgotten.
If that doesn’t happen, there could be some serious questions asked of the selectors, given the manner in which they have capitulated in the two games so far. And if they don’t up the ante in this third game, a 3-0 scoreline looks likely.
The resting of their main quick bowlers for starters and then the release of David Warner and Steven Smith from the squad for the final two games speaks of how seriously this format is taken. And now that Aaron Finch is injured, Australia are not only lacking a quality T20 batsman at the top but also their captain.
Shane Watson gets the reins, and Usman Khawaja gets the much-vaunted spot at the top of the order, something that should please most fans.
Among the rest, even Matthew Wade has been sent to New Zealand to prepare for the ODIs, which allows Cameron Bancroft a chance in the line-up. What Australia will now also need is for Glenn Maxwell to step up after a poor previous game.
It will also be interesting to see if they look to change their bowling line-up after it got hammered away by a powerful Indian batting line-up. There were six changes made to the Aussie XI and apart from the aforesaid two, they could make one or two others as well.
India’s batting has won them the first two matches in this series but due credit to the spinners as well. After figures of 4/49 from their eight overs in the first game, the pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shone yet again at the MCG despite a wet outfield making it difficult to grip the ball.
They scalped three wickets in their spell to go with Yuvraj Singh’s 1/7 from his two overs to choke the run flow yet again.
As far as their batting is concerned, there are talks India might look to experiment with their line-up and allow the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya a go but with seven more T20s to be played before the World T20, skipper MS Dhoni might prefer gunning for a whitewash.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of this Australia v India third Twenty20 from 7:38pm AEDT on Sunday and post your comments in the section below.
Prosenjit
Guest
As usual.
nandkumar
Guest
Good one
Amitabh
Guest
This was Khawaja first game and he has averaged 150 in all formats yet you still pick on him, unbelievable
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
That was worse than what you see at club level cricket. Full and outside off was required. Instead he kept dishing hit me balls on his leg stump. Why did we not play 2 spinners?
Prosenjit
Guest
Unusual for jadeja..such an accurate bowler and he bowled all those bad ones to watson.
Prosenjit
Guest
Just seen the highlights,jadeja bowled a lot of them too.
Nudge
Guest
Actually I have made a mistake there. Zampa in for Hastings. I had Zampa in my team before Boyce's strong showing tonight..I think Both leggies are comfortably the best 2 short format bowlers in Australia so id take the risk and pick em both
Prosenjit
Guest
Maxwel's performance was hillarious..once again out to yuvraj singh and then bowling 5 full tosses in an over.i hope they were not intentional.
Nudge
Guest
Yep I'd go with Tait. Massive risk I understand but if we are to have any chance we need to take risks. Taits a wicket taker, has a heap of experience in India and can blast teams out. India have played him so well but i reckon some of the other countries would prefer he wasn't picked
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yep Nudge if Finch is out then I reckon Watson to open is a good move with Bailey slotting in at either 5 or 6 (behind or in front of Maxwell depending on how Maxwell is hitting them). But I don't agree with your pace-heavy attack, I'd be selecting a second specialist spinner for sure in Indian conditions. If Australia had all their quicks available then going with a pace-heavy attack would be an option but now that Australia are really lacking in pace quality they should play to the conditions and back in their spinners. I don't see the likes of Richardson or Tait doing better in Indian conditions than Lyon or Zampa.
Prosenjit
Guest
A nice lucrative ipl offer awaits andrew ty. ;-)
JoM
Roar Rookie
I don't think you can throw a 22 year old with very little experience into a World Cup. He would be good though. Has a very good head on his shoulders
ajay
Guest
yep i too read jones article in SMH
ajay
Guest
tait and you said after tonight?
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Here is a thought, how about Green instead of Marsh? We need 12 decent overs of spin. He outfixed KP, really good control, superb fielder and can bat.
Nudge
Guest
Got to somehow get Watson to opening Ronan. Hes never had any real success batting lower than 3. He loves the brand spanking new ball that comes on consistently to the bat. I am a fan of Finch but he's going to be underdone if he is available. Not sure we need Finch, khawaja, and Watson all out in the field together. After tonight I'd go Warner Watson Khawaja Smith Maxwell Bailey Mitch Marsh Paine Richardson Hazlewood Boyce Res, Head, Faulkner, Hastings, Tait.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
Ron I think you are very mistaken about Eng and NZ. Eng have seriously good batting line up with lot of fire power. Their bowling line up is varied as well - look up how they performed vs NZ, Pakistan in middle east. Rashid had a great BBL. Some good T20 experience in pace bowlers as well + Finn. NZ - decent batting line up much more competitive than Srl and Pak. Their pace bowling stocks are best in the shorter format now. SA - AB + Rabada + Tahir + Qdk + Amla et al. Beat India recently as well. SRL Dilshan + Mathews - that is it. Bowling stocks pathetic. No Malinga, and Kushal. There are a couple of good youngsters who performed vs NZ but still it was the variety in bowling that made Srl the most consistent team in T20s. WI - big hitting batters one after the other till no 8. No score below 200 is safe. But the bowling is ordinary. Ind - do seem to be front runners esp if Yuvi bats half decently and bowls well. Ind, Eng,WI, NZ - the front runners, not sure about group combinations though.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That's it from me. I hope to be around for the New Zealand series too but there's a good chance I won't be getting a TV feed for it, so might get tough for me. In any case, the live blog for that series will continue on the The Roar, so hope to see you around. Absolutely my pleasure in live blogging these eight matches although I still hope (against hope?) that the pitches were a tad more helpful for the bowlers. Have a good night.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Australia now go to New Zealand for three ODIs and a couple of Tests before they get warmed up for the World T20 with a T20 series against South Africa as far as I last saw from the ICC schedule. Stand corrected if that's not true. India return home and welcome Sri Lanka (again!) for a three-match T20I series before featuring in the Asia Cup where every team plays four matches before the final. And then the warm-up games before the World T20. So, if you are an Indian cricket fan, lot of T20 action coming your way.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
SL and Pakistan are also rabbles -- SL have a Malinga shaped hole in their side, and Pakistan are... well Pakistan I suppose, world beaters one day and completely inept the next.