India Seal T20I Series In Australia As Sundar's 3 For 3 Stuns Hosts By 48 Runs

Representative photo: A packed cricket stadium crowd in Australia. (Pexels)

India have sealed the T20I series in Australia in style. The Men in Blue beat the hosts by 48 runs in the fourth T20I at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast on Thursday, taking an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series with one game still to play.

After being asked to bat first, India posted a fighting 167 for 8, and then their bowlers produced a stunning collapse to bowl Australia out for just 119 in 18.2 overs.

Gill Anchors India To 167

Australia won the toss and chose to bowl on a two-paced pitch, and their decision seemed to work early as India found scoring tough. But Shubman Gill held the innings together with a steady 46 off 39 balls.

Abhishek Sharma gave India a brisk start with 28, and Shivam Dube, promoted to number three, added 22. Captain Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 20, while Axar Patel's quickfire unbeaten 21 off just 11 balls and Washington Sundar's useful 12 pushed India to a respectable total.

Nathan Ellis was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 21, and Adam Zampa took 3 for 45. At the halfway mark, 167 looked slightly below par, and Australia would have fancied their chances.

Sundar's Magical Spell Turns The Game

Australia's chase began steadily — Mitchell Marsh scored 30 and Matthew Short made 25 — and at 91 for 4 in the 12th over, the hosts were well placed to chase down 168.

Then Washington Sundar changed the game in a flash. The off-spinner produced a magical spell of 3 wickets for just 3 runs in 1.2 overs, ripping through Australia's lower order and reaching the milestone of 50 T20I wickets in the process.

Axar Patel, named Player of the Match, took 2 for 20 to go with his unbeaten 21, and Shivam Dube also claimed 2 for 20. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy picked up a wicket each, with Bumrah moving to 99 T20I wickets.

Australia's Stunning Collapse

The numbers tell the story of Australia's collapse. From 67 for 1, the hosts lost their last nine wickets for just 52 runs. From 91 for 4, they lost their last seven wickets for only 28 runs in 41 balls, bowled out for 119.

It was Australia's second-lowest T20 total at home, as the spin trio of Sundar, Axar and Varun, backed by Dube, never let the batters settle.

There was late drama too: Gill dropped a routine catch off Sundar in the 19th over, then held a similar chance off the very next ball to dismiss Adam Zampa and seal the win. Captain Suryakumar Yadav later credited Gill's patient 46 and Abhishek's 28 for setting up the victory.

What This Win Means

The result keeps India's proud record in Australia intact — they have never lost a bilateral T20I series there, drawing in 2018-19 and winning 2-1 in 2020-21. It also settles the tour's momentum after Australia won the ODI leg 2-1, though India ended that series on a high with an unbeaten stand from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The fifth and final T20I will be played at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, November 8, where Australia will play for pride and India will aim for a 3-1 series win.

Conclusion

India's bowlers turned a modest total into a commanding win, and Washington Sundar's spell of 3 for 3 will be remembered as the moment the series was won.

Who was your Player of the Match — Washington Sundar for his magical spell, or Axar Patel for his all-round show? Tell us in the comments.