Ruturaj Gaikwad's 123* went in vain after Australia beat India in the third of five T20Is in Guwahati. Still, there were to be some individual accolades for the young Gaikwad, who became the first Indian batter to hit a T20 century against the Aussies
Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first Indian batter to score a T20I century against Australia during the teams' third meeting in the five-match series in Guwahati. Gaikwad's 123 in 57 balls, however, were in vain as the Aussies reigned supreme in the 223-run chase courtesy of their hitman Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell scored a ton himself as the ODI World Cup 2023 champions crossed the line on the final ball to cut the series deficit to 2-1. (Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
Mere days after their meeting at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final, India and Australia renewed their rivalry, albeit in a shorter format. Australia had beaten India on that occasion, breaking the collective hearts of the 130,000 present inside the arena - and the millions more watching from afar - to lift their sixth ODI World Cup title. However, only a few days later, a fresh-faced Indian side avenged that defeat in Visakhapatnam, defeating an equally-changed Australian squad in a T20I thriller.
Only 72 hours after their Visakhapatnam heroics, India repeated the feat in Thiruvananthapuram. The Men in Blue beat Australia by 44 runs, having set a massive target of 236 for their opponents to chase, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Another win for them in Guwahati would ensure an early series win.
Without some of the heavy lifters, a renewed India side led by Suryakumar Yadav - whose 80-run knock against the Aussies was the catalyst for the victory in Visakhapatnam in the first T20I - takes on Australia in the five-game series. Ruturaj Gaikward, who led with a half-century in Thiruvananthapuram, will deputize for the batter, while Shreyas Iyer will take on his duties upon his return for the final two games. For Australia, World Cup Final hero Travis Head will look to continue his fine form of late under the captaincy of Matthew Wade. Adam Zampa and Josh Inglis will switch over from the ODI World Cup squad in an otherwise changed team.