Needing 78 to win from the final five overs, and 21 off the last, Glenn Maxwell brought up a sensational 47-ball hundred off the penultimate ball of the innings as he smashed 18 off the final four deliveries to fire Australia to victory; India lead the five-match T20I series 2-1
Tuesday 28 November 2023 18:17, UK
Glenn Maxwell produced another extraordinary display of batting, blasting a second match-winning hundred in India in the space of a month as Australia beat the hosts off the final ball of a thrilling third T20 international.
Maxwell hit a double-hundred dubbed the 'greatest ODI innings ever' during Australia's triumphant 50-over World Cup campaign in India, rescuing his side from 91-7 as they chased down 292 to beat Afghanistan on November 8.
On Tuesday night in Guwahati, Maxwell's latest hundred heroics - an unbeaten 104 off 48 deliveries - ensured Australia kept the five-match T20I series alive, having trailed 2-0 coming into the contest.
India - beaten in the 50-over World Cup final by their opponents - looked to have the series sewn up when Marcus Stoinis (17) and Tim David (0) departed in back-to-back overs, leaving Australia 134-5 and still requiring 89 from the final 6.3 overs.
Maxwell went through to his half-century in the next over with the fourth of eight maximums to his name for the innings, with three more following in the next two overs as Australia just about stayed up with the required rate.
With 49 still needed from the final 18 deliveries, Prasidh Krishna appeared to have provided the match-defining over, conceding just six runs from the 18th.
But, Matthew Wade (28no off 16 balls) pitched in with a magnificent cameo, cracking two fours and a six - off a free hit after an Axar Patel no-ball - as 22 runs were reaped off the 19th, and then Krishna was taken to the cleaners in the last.
Defending 21 to win, Wade struck his first ball for four before taking a single off the second to bring Maxwell back on strike. He then went six, four, four, four to win the game off the final ball - having brought up his 47-ball century off the penultimate delivery.
Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad (123no off 57) cracked a sparkling first international century for India as they posted a massive 222-3 from their 20 overs, having been inserted by Australia, though ultimately his efforts would prove in vain.
The two teams next meet in Raipur on Friday in the fourth T20I of the series.
