Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Excellent series win for India, who are shaping up nicely for the T20 World Cup. But a pit-stop before that as South Africa come visiting for a three-match T20I and ODI series, When does that start you ask? In three days' time in Thiruvananthapuram. As always, we'll be here presenting every update as it comes. Till then this is me Ashish Pant, signing off on behalf of my colleagues Deivarayan Muthu and Chandan Duorah. Goodnight and take care!

Anchal Saxena: "Cameron has to be the highlight of the match who unfortunately ended on losing side. What a player he is turning out to be!! Cleaning hitting and economical bowling. Amazing times ahead for Australia. "

11.07pm All smiles as Rohit Sharma collects the winner's trophy. He is joined by the other members as they pose with the trophy. Team India seems to have forgone their previous unspoken rule of handing the trophy to the youngest player of the team. Instead this time, the ever young DK was given the trophy.

Rohit Sharma, the India captain: It (Hyderabad) is a special place. We have had a lot of memories with the India team and with Deccan Chargers. [On the game] It was a great occasion. We wanted to put up a show, and we did that well. The biggest positives was different individuals stepping up with the ball and bat. When you are sitting back and watching all of that happening, you feel nice as a management. Sometimes you can err in doing a lot of things. This is T20 cricket, and the margins of error are very small. I thought we took our chances, we were brave. Sometimes it didn't come off, but that is a learning we will take. [Areas of improvement] There are a lot of areas, particularly, our death bowling coming to the party. Those two (Harshal and Bumrah) who came in are coming after a long time. Knowing their (Australia's) middle and lower order is tough to bowl at. Don't really want to look into that. They are coming after a break, they will take time. Hopefully, they can get back in the groove.

Axar Patel is the Player of the Series: When you do well, and the team wins you feel nice. The things I do in the IPL, bowling in the powerplay and when you execute it well, feels nice. The line and lengths, I bowl, I back myself. Even if the batter hits a good shot, I back myself. I try and execute my plans.

Suryakumar Yadav is the Player of the Match: [His dismissal] In that situation, it was much needed. I thought let's take my chance. There were two-three shots in my mind, was trying to hit over mid-off. Thoughts have always been the same, have always wanted to express myself. That's how I practice in the nets. Just loving at No.4. A lot of challenges and responsibilities as well [for the T20 WC]. You can't shy away from expressing yourself. Have to be smart.

Aaron Finch, the Australia captain up first : It was a really good series. We held our nerves well in the middle overs. The series Green had was big as well. We thought it was a decent total, it got a bit dewy, and we knew we had to get wickets. You can't rely on containing India. At times we were a bit sloppy in our execution. To be able to play three games against a world-class side has been great for this side. [On Green] He is a super young player; he has shown his class. He has not played a lot of T20. He has taken it superbly. Presentation time

Kammo: "Axar should be MoS by a wide margin. 10 overs 8 wkts. Next highest number of wkts was 3"

Raj Patel: "Wonder who would be the Man of the Series ? Any takes or suggestions?" Axar?

Mohit : "That hundred against Afghanistan helped Kohli lose tons of pressure from his shoulders. Now we're seeing pressure free vintage Kohli."

Here's Virat Kohli: I have to utilise my experience and had to take down Zampa. [On Surya] I looked at the dugout and both Rahul and Rohit asked me to continue batting. He has the game to bat in any conditions, he got a hundred in England, then batted well in Asia Cup. Here he is striking the ball as well as I have seen him in the last six months. It's just the array of shots and to play the shots at the right time is such a good skill to have, and he does that. I made up my mind to go after him (Zampa). He is a quality bowler and tries to control my scoring. I knew he was attacking my stumps, so was outside the leg stump. I am making a conscious effort to strike those big ones through the middle overs. The game shouldn't have gone for that long, and we should have had four or five runs to chase in the last over. It was important to maintain my composure and get one boundary which I was able to do (in the last over). I have enjoyed batting ever since I came back at the Asia Cup. Today also I was an hour and half before the team. I am working hard on my process and happy with my contributions.

10.35pm India continue to surge and they will be so happy with this win. Not because they won, but because they overcame tough scenarios. Green started off like a train, then India came back with wickets. Then the late flourish, but Harshal bowled a superb last over. The start of the chase was excellent but with Rahul and Rohit falling early and Australia bowling thunderbolts, Kohli and SKY had to bide their time, yet collect the runs, which they did. SKY, in particular, was unstoppable and once he got out Kohli took over. Both batters got to a fifty and in the end, it was Pandya, who kept his calm. Having said that, Australia were relentless on a belter of a surface bowling those hard lengths. A word on Green, who was absolutely superb with both bat and ball.

19.5
4
Sams to Pandya, FOUR, A thick edge and that's all that India needed! India take a thriller and the series 2-1. Sams continues going for that wide full ball. This time Pandya gets some bat on it and the ball scoots past short third, who can do nothing. It was always going to be a gamble, but that line was tricky.
19.4
0
Sams to Pandya, no run, Length ball outside off, Pandya has taken an off stump guard, and steps across. So that despite being outside the tramline wasn't called a wide.

Pandya back on strike. Surely he will want to finish it off this ball.

19.3
1
Sams to Karthik, 1 run, Length ball outside off, he mistimes his loft to long off.

DK comes in now. 5 off 4.

Ishan Jain: "Superover anyone?" Let's not go there

19.2
W
Sams to Kohli, OUT, This match continues to get interesting! Back of a length outside off, Kohli drills it but can only hit it straight to extra cover where Finch holds on

V Kohli c Finch b Sams 63 (89m 48b 3x4 4x6) SR: 131.25

19.1
6
Sams to Kohli, SIX, That goes high and into the stands! Slower ball on off, Kohli frees his arms and absolutely pummels it over wide long on for a massive six!

Sams for the last over. Can he do it this time? India will need 11

END OF OVER:
19 | 10 Runs | IND: 176/3 (11 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 9.26, RRR: 11.00)

  • Virat Kohli57 (46b)
  • Hardik Pandya21 (14b)
  • Josh Hazlewood4-0-40-1
  • Pat Cummins4-0-40-1
18.6
1
Hazlewood to Kohli, 1 run, Low full toss on off, he gets deep in his crease slams the flick but can't beat deep midwicket
18.5
2
Hazlewood to Kohli, 2 runs, Length outside off, Kohli drills the cover drive and that is going for a four for all money. But Maxwell puts it an terrific dive and saves two.
18.4
0
Hazlewood to Kohli, no run, In the slot, Kohli steps across to swat it over long on, but misses. Ooh, that was a big delivery and there to be hit.
18.3
0
Hazlewood to Kohli, no run, Yorker outside off, Kohli misjudges thinking that was going wide. Shoulders arms, but that was just inside the tramline.
18.2
1
Hazlewood to Pandya, 1 run, Yorker on point outside off, he digs it to long off and they settle for a run
18.1
6
Hazlewood to Pandya, SIX, SHOT! Low full toss outside off, he takes a step across and tonks it just over the leaping long on. All whippage!

Hazlewood to bowl the 19th. India need 21 off 12. Remember that last over from Harshal. That could well be the difference.

END OF OVER:
18 | 11 Runs | IND: 166/3 (21 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.22, RRR: 10.50)

  • Virat Kohli54 (42b)
  • Hardik Pandya14 (12b)
  • Pat Cummins4-0-40-1
  • Daniel Sams3-0-22-1
17.6
2
Cummins to Kohli, 2 runs, Low full toss outside off, he lifts it to the left of deep cover and gets a couple of runs.

Australia look fine on time.

17.5
1
Cummins to Pandya, 1 run, Yorker outside off, jammed to point. They still take a single.
17.5
2w
Cummins to Kohli, 2 wides, Slower loopy bouncer, he shuffles across looking for a pull. Called a wide for height and they take an extra run with Wade fumbling
17.4
1
Cummins to Pandya, 1 run, Low full toss outside off, he gets a thick edge to short third and just wanders down. The fielder has a shy at the stumps, and concedes an over throw.

Deep point comes in, fine leg goes back

17.3
0
Cummins to Pandya, no run, Similar delivery outside off, fuller length. No connection this time around.
17.2
4
Cummins to Pandya, FOUR, Important runs for India! Very full outside off, and with the third man up, that was always a four even with a little bit of bat on it. Pandya does just that and gets a thick edge past short third.

Raj Patel: "Right time for DK the finisher to come in or still a bit too early ?"

17.1
1
Cummins to Kohli, 1 run, Length but on middle and leg, he clips it to deep square leg. Cummins is bowling to his field though.

32 needed off 18! Cummins back now.

END OF OVER:
17 | 7 Runs | IND: 155/3 (32 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 9.11, RRR: 10.66)

  • Hardik Pandya8 (8b)
  • Virat Kohli51 (40b)
  • Daniel Sams3-0-22-1
  • Cameron Green3-0-14-0
16.6
2
Sams to Pandya, 2 runs, Slower short ball on off, he places the pull in the gap between deep midwicket and long on. They get two.
16.5
0
Sams to Pandya, no run, Slower back of a length ball outside off. Pandya once again looks to thrash it, no connection again. He needs one big hit.
16.5
1w
Sams to Pandya, 1 wide, Very full outside off, the umpire deems it to be just outside the tramline. Sams is not happy with the call, has a word with the umpire.
16.4
1
Sams to Kohli, 1 run, On-pace length ball now on middle, he mistimes the slog to deep midwicket.
16.3
0
Sams to Kohli, no run, He's done well to get a hand to it has Sams. Slower length ball outside off, he drills it back to the bowler, who technically drops it. But that would have taken some catching.

India 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st5RG SharmaKL Rahul
2nd25RG SharmaV Kohli
3rd104V KohliSA Yadav
4th48V KohliHH Pandya
5th5KD KarthikHH Pandya