Twitter Reactions: Australia secure their top position with a consolation win in third T20I

Mitchell Marsh shone with the bat in the only opportunity he got in the series.

By Tanvir Sahni

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4 Min Read

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Australia. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

With pride and number one position to play for in the third T20I, the Australia skipper Aaron Finch made it three out of three, as he won the toss once again. He opted to bowl this time around. Both teams made considerable changes as the series had already been decided. Eoin Morgan took rest and handed over the captaincy duties to Moeen Ali even as Tom Banton opened with Jonny Bairstow in Jos Buttler’s absence.

The former was dismissed for just 2 runs in yet another poor performance. Dawid Malan was involved in a 49-run stand with the opener, before being dismissed by Adam Zampa. England were at 53/2 at the end of 8.1 overs. Post this wicket, the hosts failed to get a good partnership going and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. This hindered their scoring rate as no batsman got going.

Bairstow was the highest run-scorer with 55 runs in 44 balls, while Malan, Ali, and Joe Denly chipped in with useful cameos. England ended with a score of 145/6, something they would’ve definitely not liked. For Australia, Adam Zampa got two wickets while the rest of the bowlers chipped in with a wicket each. It was now up to the English bowlers to win the game for their side.

Australia survive the Adil Rashid scare

Australia got off to a quick start scoring 70 runs in the first seven overs. They lost their second wicket in the eighth over in the form of Marcus Stoinis. The crucial phase for the visitors was just about to begin. They had continuously struggled against the spin of Adil Rashid. He worked his magic once again as he dismissed the trio of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, and Steven Smith in quick succession.

While Finch scored a useful 26-ball 39, the other two were dismissed for single-digit scores. The form of Maxwell will definitely be a big concern for the Australian side as he failed again. They now needed 46 runs in 7 overs with Mitchell Marsh and Ashton Agar at the crease. It was the former’s chance to prove his mettle. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ended with an unbeaten 39 to take his team to victory.

He won the Man of the Match award for his brilliant knock while Jos Buttler was given the Man of the Series for his performance in the first two games. For England, Adil Rashid took three wickets, while Mark Wood and Tom Curran picked up a wicket each. England won the series 2-1 but was unable to displace Australia in the T20I rankings.

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