India Australia ODI Series 
3rd Match Played at Canberra on 2 December 2020 
India 302/5 (Hardik Pandya 92*, Virat Kohli 78 Ravindra Jadeja 66*, Shuvman Gill 33, AC Ager 2/44) beat Australia 289 All Out in 49.3 Overs (AJ Flinch 75, GJ Maxwell 59, AT Carey 38, AC Ager 28, SN Thakur 3/51, JJ Bumrah 2/43 , T Natarajan 2/70) by 13 Runs. 

Player Of The Match: Hardik Pandya 
Player Of the Series : Steve Smith. 

After two big losses back to back in Sydney and conceding the series team India managed to beat Australia at Manuka Oval Canberra by 13 runs. 

This match unlike the first two high scoring matches witnessed a true contest befitting for the two teams. India winning the toss for the first time decided to bat. 

The Canberra wicket is usually a flat deck a batting paradise. But today it had bit for both batsmen and the bowlers.  Dominating the proceeding till the 32nd Over Australia lost control for a record setting unbroken 150 runs 6th wicket partnership between H Pandya (92*) and R Jadeja (66*). India finished 302/5 their third 300 plus score in three consecutive matches. Australian response was on course till the 45 th over when Magical Maxwell got out at 278. Indian bowlers quickly wrapped the tails as Australia got all out scoring 289 in 49.3 overs.  India won by 13 runs. Australia won the series 2-1. 

Having the series already decided both teams decided to test their bench strength. Warner was injured. But Australia rested Cummins and Starc. Cameroon Green, Sean Abott and Aston Ager were given a go. India changed Myanak Agarwall, Mohammad Sami, N Saini and Y Chahal and brought in Shuvman Gill, S Thakur and Kuldep Yadav and T Natarajan. 

Dhawan went early. But Gill was looking good till he was trapped LBW by Ager scoring 33. Iyer and Rahul again failed leaving V Kohli playing yet another master class Innings of 63 in 78 deliveries before getting a great ball yet again from Hazlewood his nemesis. But in this innings, he out shadowed maestro Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar being the first player reaching 12000 ODI runs. Having his debut in 2008 it took him 242 innings in 12 years and 105 days achieving this milestone. Sachin required 52 more innings in 13 years and 73 days reaching there. India innings was in a spot of bother when Virat got out at 5/152 in the 32 over. But cricket saw a brilliant display of aggressive batting from there on by two talented Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya (92*) and Ravindra Jadeja (62*). India for the 3rd time in the series scored 300 plus. The first two matches they fell short even after scoring 300 plus as Australia scored more almost 400. The absence of Cummins and Satrc hurt Australia.

Australia opened with Flinch and Labuschagne in absence of flamboyant Warner. For the first time in 6th ODI matches India could get a wicket within the first power play as Labuschagne (7) was cleaned up by Natarajan. The law of average also caught up with Smith (7) as he also went cheaply after two monumental. centuries in the first two matches. Flinch was mortaring along. Henrique (22) gave him company for a while. Indians were bowling far better on the day. After Henrique got out debutant Green joined his captain. Jadeja struck the vital blow removing Flinch for 75. Carey and Maxwell were looking ok. But Indian bowling and fielding was much more purposeful on the day. Neither Green, nor Carey could stay longer leaving Maxwell carrying the fight all alone. He was looking great. But Bumrah bowing much to his own self on the day cleaned up dangerous Maxi for 59 which he scored in only in 38 deliveries. If he stayed only two more overs it could white wash for Australia. Instead after his departure Indian bowlers wrapped up Australian Innings for 289 winning the match by 13 runs. 

Great that life returned in the Australia India contest. The T20 series starting on Friday will witness mouth-watering contest. Thakur (3/ 51), Bumrah (2/43) and Natarajan (2/70) were the wicket takers for India. 

BDST: 1857 HRS, DEC 02, 2020
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