For nine balls, it looked like being a replay of that nightmare Yuvraj innings in the World T20 2014 final. But then, suddenly the magic came back, a four and a six flew off the blade when his team needed it the most, and just like that India completed a series whitewash against Australia after winning the 3rd T20, a cliff-hanger of a 3rd T20, by seven wickets.
Chasing a mammoth 198, after Australian posted 197/5 in their 20 overs courtesy Shane Watson's tremendous, unbeaten 124 (71b, 10x4, 6x6), the top three – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli -- came to the party again, before Suresh Raina (49 n.o., 25b, 6x4, 1x6) and Yuvraj Singh (15 n.o, 12b, 1x4, 1x6) finished it off in style off the last ball of the match.
[Get the story on Yuvraj HERE]
Rohit and Dhawan were outstanding at the top again, scoring 46 runs together in well under four overs to send India on their way to the target. With Rohit and Dhawan in such form, it was the man who struck a wonderful century – Watson – who broke the opening partnership, finding the outside edge of Dhawan.
However, India barely blinked after that wicket, as Virat Kohli took over the boundary-hitting duties alongside Rohit. The two were taking India to another big win over Australia with their 78-run partnership, before the momentum swung in Australia's favour.
Rohit (52, 38b, 5x4, 1x6) flicked one to Watson at midwicket off the impressive Cameron Boyce (4-0-28-2), before the leg-spinner also picked up Kohli (50, 36b, 2x4, 1x6), soon after the India vice-captain completed his half-century.
Suresh Raina looked alright, but the same could not be said of Yuvraj, sent by MS Dhoni ahead of himself, with the left-hander unable to get bat on ball for the first nine deliveries. Suddenly from ten runs an over, the run rate climbed up and up, with India needing 17 off the final over for victory.
Just when Australia would have envisaged a win, Yuvraj found his mojo, hitting Andrew Tye for a four, to fine-leg, and a six, to midwicket, leaving needing only seven from four balls. There was no way India were going to lose from there, with Raina, fittingly, finishing the match and series off with a boundary over backward point.
Earlier, Watson, inspired by being named captain for this final T20, played his best Twenty-20 innings in an Australia shirt, scoring the highest ever score in this format for his country. Opening the innings, Watson looked a lot more comfortable, and he went hell for leather pretty much right from the off.
With Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell falling relatively early, the pressure was on Watson score big, and boy did he deliver. Travis Head gave his captain good company at the other end, chipping in with a 19-ball 26 (1x4, 1x6) in a partnership that gave Australia 93 runs in under eight overs.
Chris Lynn came in and hit a few big shots as well, to just push that score closer to 200, but even that wasn't enough to stop the India juggernaut.
Get the highlights of the match HERE
