AUS VS IND - 3rd T20I, India tour of Australia, 2020-21

India 2 - 1 Australia: A win for Australia to cap this series off. Zoom out a little, and India have won the series 2-1. Zoom out a little further, and you see the big picture: it's scores level, 3-3 across the two white-ball formats, as the two sides march into the Test series that starts at the Adelaide Oval on the 17th. And I am willing to bet my life, that things won't be nearly as friendly when the white flannels and the Baggy Greens are on. The sprint party is all over, and it's produced some exciting cricket - and it's time for the marathon in just over a week's time. For now, it's Rishi Roy signing off alongside Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Raju Peethala, Sagar Chawla and Sriram AS. Onwards and upwards. *Curtains down*

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Hardik Pandya | Man of the Series: I'm very pleased, and wouldn't mind getting the Man of the Series award, but it was a team effort. After the 2nd ODI we thought we'd think of this this a 4-match series and we managed to get three wins, so happy with that. I don't mind giving interviews because you only have those when you're on the winning side. I haven't seen my child for four months, so I'd like to spend some time with family right now.

Virat Kohli | India captain: At one stage when Hardik started going we thought we could pull it off. The middle over phase during our batting cost us the game. A partnership of 30-odd would've made it easier for Hardik. We are finding ways to come back and give the opposition a scare and the series win is a little asterisk for us to finish the 2020 season on a high. I feel the crowd was a factor as well, it's always giving you a dimension of motivation. Our crowd pulls us through sometimes, and Australia's too, and we as players feed off the crowd's energy. We need to take the same competitive attitude into the Tests, and having played here a few times, we can score runs as well. Once it's time to capitalize and score, we need to do that session by session. I'm sure the current side is stronger than last time (Test matches) and I'll see if I can play the tour match.

Aaron Finch | Australia captain: It was a great series, and we just happened to be on the wrong end of the first two. It's the first time we've had two leg-spinners in the side, and they were bold with the short boundaries here, so credit to both of them. Swepson bowled the 7th over against Shikhar and Virat, both destructive in their own ways, but Zamps bowled really well as well. We played some great white-ball cricket over the last 18 months and really proud of the bunch.

Mitchell Swepson | Man of the Match: Happy to get this award, and win the game for my side. I think that was a bit of a skidder, but I'm happy to say that I gave it a bit of a rip and got that wicket (the Iyer wicket).

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Stat: First defeat in 12 T20Is for India - last came against WI in Trivandrum in Dec 2019. Also, first defeat away from home in 11 matches since losing to NZ in Hamilton in Feb 2019
Overseas captains leading in Test, ODI & T20I series wins in Australia
Faf du Plessis: Tests: 2-1 in 2016/17 | ODI 2-1 in 2018 | T20I 1-0 in 2018
Virat Kohli: Tests: 2-1 in 2018/19 | ODI 2-1 in 2019 | T20I 2-1 in 2020

22:53 Local Time | 17:23 IST: It was a dead-rubber, but ignorance is bliss when it comes to those. The game in isolation manifests the true beauty of sport - that even when all is lost, the teams give it their all. Even in a dead-rubber, there is pride to play for. And Australia have done just that. Getting rid of the deadly KL Rahul was a blessing first up - probably got Brian Lara off the screen. However, after Dhawan-Kohli, India lacked partnerships, and the lack of experience in the middle-order was evident. Samson, Shreyas, and Hardik (despite threatening for a moment) were gone in a jiffy, and there was obvious pressure on Kohli, who eventually succumbed to Tye's wideline ploy. However, it was the 18th over from Zampa that stalled the Indian juggernaut, resulting in their first T20I defeat in exactly a year (to the day). India threatened, they really did, in overs 16 and 17, but eventually the batting fizzled out. The presentations should be coming up soon...

Abbott to Thakur, 2 runs, that's the end! Shardul has top-edge another pull, dragging it across from outside the line of off-stump, high in the air towards the cow corner fence, and that's dropped by Daniel Sams - it's one that will be forgotten, though, because Australia have earned themselves a 12-run consolation victory here at the SCG...

Abbott to Thakur, no run, short and outside off, Thakur has another go at the pull/hook - poor choice of shot, as it flies over the top-edge

Abbott to Thakur, 2 runs, short ball, and that's pulled high in the air and away to deep square leg for a couple...

Abbott to Thakur, SIX, CRUNCH! He's picked up another one and smoked it over the cow corner fence! The T20 game, the modern game, never fails to enthrall, does it?

Deepak Chahar, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Abbott to Washington Sundar, out Caught by Tye! That's the end of Sundar! A wide dipping full-toss, and he's sliced it straight down the throat of Tye at deep backward point. India's sliding. Washington Sundar c Tye b Abbott 7(6) [4s-1]

Abbott to Washington Sundar, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Abbott to Washington Sundar, FOUR, backs away and trusts the bounce, slaps a length over the in-field to the deep extra cover boundary for four! A good start, but still a tad too far-fetched for India I reckon...

Sean Abbott [3.0-0-35-0] is back into the attack

27 off 6.

Tye to Thakur, SIX, Phew, he's leathered that! Can't go a half-volley go unpunished, the modern tailender! Picks this up and swats it over deep midwicket for six! It's all come a little too late for India...