Match Blog: India vs Australia — 3rd T20I, Hobart

Prelude & Team News

The third T20I of the five-match series took place at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, where India entered looking to level the series after losing the second game.
India made three changes to their XI: Arshdeep Singh returned in place of Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar came in for Kuldeep Yadav, and Jitesh Sharma replaced Sanju Samson behind the stumps.
On winning the toss, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted to field first, believing the wicket offered something for the pacers early. 

Australia’s Innings

Australia posted a strong total of 186/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Key contributors:

• Tim David smashed 74 off 38 balls — explosive and dominant.
• Marcus Stoinis followed with 64 off 39, providing strong support.
  India’s bowlers had to battle hard: Arshdeep took 3-35, and Varun Chakravarthy picked up 2 key wickets.
  

India’s Chase

Facing a challenging target of 187, India answered with a composed chase:

• A brisk start saw openers get the platform going, although Australia fought back with Nathan Ellis taking timely wickets.
  
• The defining moment: Washington Sundar’s unbeaten 49 runs off just 23 balls shifted the momentum firmly in India’s favour.
  
• Jitesh Sharma supported with 22* off 13 in his comeback outing, ensuring the required rate stayed manageable.
  India reached 188/5 in 18.3 overs — a win by 5 wickets with 9 balls to spare.
  

Turning Points & Highlights

• Arshdeep Singh’s early strikes helped India curtail Australia’s momentum even after the big David and Stoinis knocks. His return to the side was impactful.
  
• Washington Sundar showed why flexible all-rounders matter in T20s — his blazing innings under pressure sealed the game.
• Australia looked to be in control post the 150+ mark but lost control in the final overs of their innings and then couldn’t stop India’s chase.

Implications & What’s Next

With this win, India have levelled the series 1-1 in the five-match series.
Momentum has swung a bit — Australia will look to regain control in the next encounter, while India will be buoyant, having staved off a tricky total overseas.
Key questions remain: Can India maintain consistency in their batting top-order? Will Australia manage to tweak and respond in the upcoming games?

Final Word

It was a high-quality T20I: Australia showed their hitting power, India showed their resilience and depth. For India, top performances from Arshdeep and Washington proved decisive. For Australia, the one big partnership wasn’t enough in the end. The series is now wide open — and the next game promises to be interesting.