Washington Sundar guides India to 5-wicket win over Australia; series levelled with two matches to go

India defeated Australia by five wickets in the third T20 International at the Ninja Stadium in Bellerive on Sunday, levelling the ongoing series 1-1.

Chasing a target of 186, India reached 188/5 with nine balls to spare, thanks to an assured finish from Washington Sundar, who guided the team to victory.

Earlier, after being put in to bat first, Australia were cornered early by the Indian bowlers and found themselves struggling at 14 for 2. Arshdeep Singh, making his first appearance in the series, struck early to remove Travis Head and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh and Tim David then attempted to rebuild the innings before Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed Marsh for 11. David, joined by Marcus Stoinis, counter-attacked the Indian bowlers to lift the hosts’ total.

David’s aggressive 74 came to an end in the 12th over when Shivam Dube got him caught, leaving Australia at 118 for 4. Matt Short then joined Stoinis, and the pair took the side to a competitive total of 186 for 6. Stoinis contributed 64 before being dismissed by Arshdeep.

In reply, openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma began cautiously, with Sharma taking the early initiative. In their 33-run stand, Abhishek contributed 25 before Nathan Ellis dismissed him.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav then joined Gill, adding quick runs to keep the chase on track. Yadav made 24, while Gill scored 15, taking India to 76 for 3 in seven overs.

Just as Australia looked to regain control, Tilak Varma (29) and Axar Patel steadied the innings, pushing the score to 111 before Patel fell for 17. Washington Sundar then took charge, anchoring the chase with composure. Alongside Tilak, and later with Jitesh Sharma — who remained unbeaten on 22 — Sundar ensured India comfortably crossed the target to seal the win.

With the win, India levelled the five-match series 1–1, with two games still to play. The opening match had been washed out due to rain, while Australia won the second encounter by four wickets.