'I was pretty grumpy': Wade's cheeky dig at Maxwell as cricket world ...
Glenn Maxwell has blown the cricket world away with another staggering century, sealing a remarkable victory for Australia in the third T20I against India.
Maxwell had earlier conceded 30 runs in his lone bowling over as India scored 3-222, but he made amends with an unbeaten 104 from 48 balls as Australia chased down the total 5-225 in a final-ball thriller.
It was a record-equalling fourth T20I for Maxwell, who hit eight fours and eight sixes – and blasted Prasidh Krishna’s final over for 23 runs to deliver victory.
The 21 runs needed to secure victory in the final over was the most ever successfully achieved in a T20I.
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India v Australia - 3rd T20I Highlights | 09:46
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs India third T20 scorecard and live updates
“It was always going to take our best, and one of the best players that’s ever played T20s for Australia played his 100th game and got a hundred, so pretty special for him,” Matthew Wade said of Maxwell’s man of the match performance.
Asked if he was ‘confident’ Australia could chase down India’s total, the skipper said: “I wouldn’t say “confident” was my first thought (to chase 222), but I was pretty grumpy after handing Maxi the last over; before that one went for 30 I thought we were right in the game but unfortunately that one went for 30 and I was more grumpy than confident.”
He joked: “Maxi wouldn’t have got that hundred if he hadn’t tossed those 30 anyway!”
Magic Maxi executes miracle final over | 01:59
It was the joint-fastest T20 century for Australia (47 balls), level with Aaron Finch and Josh Inglis. He had reached 50 off 28 balls, before exploding from there – his second 50 taking just 19 balls.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav joked: “We just wanted to get Maxi out quickly, that was the plan … I told the boys in the drinks break to get Maxwell out quickly but that was insane.”
“It was a remarkable game of cricket,” added Aussie bowler Jason Behrendorff.
“We’re looking to get a series victory and we’re one step closer to that. To put on a performance like that is special and we will look to take that momentum into the next game.”
Maxwell himself had plenty of praise for Wade, saying: “We thought if we can stay in the hunt until the last over, we can give ourselves a chance, you never know it might come off the middle and you might stay in the game. We did really well to stay in the game until the final over.
“Knowing that Axar had one over left meant Wadey had to be out there to cash in and I was trying to take on all the pace bowlers and get the run rate a little bit under control. The way Wadey controlled the other end and got me through the back-end of my innings – he was brilliant out there.”
