Australia came into the third T20I of the five-match series against India at the Ninja Stadium in Hobart with a 1-0 lead and needed one more victory to take an undefeated lead. But they didn’t get a good start with the bat, having lost the toss to the visiting captain, Suryakumar Yadav. The home side lost both Travis Head and Josh Inglis early in the innings. 

Their captain, Mitchell Marsh, struggled to find a good rhythm and timing with the bat before Tim David showed his power. The latter has enjoyed a great T20 record at the venue with a strike rate of over 170 in 26 T20 innings, and he used his power brilliantly during the knock.

See Also: [WATCH] Arshdeep Singh dismisses Travis Head for 6 during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I in Hobart

On the fifth ball of the seventh over against India’s left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, the right-handed batter went forward and lofted the shot over the shade of the stadium. It went out of the ground with the strong elevation as Axar, for a moment, thought of hiding his face. It was a 129m six from the batter.

Watch: Tim David smashed monster six of 129m against Axar Patel during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I

On the third ball of the same over, David sliced the spinner over the sweeper cover for a huge six. He opened the bat face and hit it to the short boundary with the breeze. When India introduced Shivam Dube into the attack, David took his beast mode and clubbed three boundaries to celebrate his fifty in just 23 balls. It was the second-fastest T20I fifty from an Australian batter against India by balls.

What a hand power man 130M six by Tim David 🥵🥵 pic.twitter.com/0N9PRABZqv

— Raf! (@MBVKtweets) November 2, 2025

He even showed his brutal force against Varun Chakravarthy. He came down the track and took the ball on a half-volley to loft it with the wind for a six. Two balls later, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter got forward and smashed the ball flat over the fence for the same result.

He was finally dismissed by Dube for 74 runs in 38 balls, riding on eight boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of nearly 200. Australia pushed their way to 118/5 in 13 overs and looked good to cross the 180-mark in their allotted 20 overs.

India’s veteran opening, Rohit Sharma, was in prime form during the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia, with one half-century and a century during the second and third encounters in Adelaide and Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). There were questions about whether he would be able to find the old touch, having been out of competitive cricket for a long time. 

A video has gone viral around the social media platforms from the trip where Rohit was seen to surprise a cab driver, who perhaps didn’t notice the batter at the beginning. But the Indian player sat in the car in a cool manner before shaking hands with the driver while taking a leave at his destination.

See Also: Frustrated fans hit out at BCCI for ticket scam of Women's World Cup 2025 final between India and South Africa

Rohit Sharma has publicly announced his wish to be part of the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. But the question is whether he would be able to hold his form and fitness till that period. However, this ODI series down under was a perfect example of how he could sustain more in the 50-over format for India.

Watch: Cab driver surprised at Rohit Sharma’s presence during AUS vs IND ODI series

Rohit, at the Optus Stadium in Perth during the opening clash, looked a bit off-form before getting an outside edge into the hands of the slip fielder against Josh Hazlewood, who was driven for a straight boundary earlier in the innings. The Nagpur-born faced criticism as many called for his retirement by the end of the series.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by NAUGHTYWORLD (@naughtyworld)

But the right-handed opening batter, who has already retired from the shortest and longest formats of the game, celebrated a fine knock of 73 runs in 97 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a couple of sixes at a strike rate of 75.26. Those sixes felt quite sweet coming off Rohit’s bat.

In the third and final game at the SCG, the Mumbai batter remained unbeaten on 121 runs in 125 balls, riding on 13 boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 96.80. His partnership with Virat Kohli (74*) earned the victory for India in that fixture.

In the crucial third T20I of the five-match series in the Australia tour, India have made three crucial changes, as Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav have been benched along with Harshit Rana. 

Bellerive Oval in Hobart is hosting the third game of the series, while hosts Australia lead 1-0 after winning the second T20I by four wickets following the no result in the series opener. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss in the Hobart T20I, as the crowd roared for that achievement, while the Indian skipper chose to bowl first. At the toss, he confirmed three changes, as the wicketkeeper Sanju Samson and left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav have been benched, along with the right-arm fast bowler Harshit Rana.  

See Also: Riyan Parag set to lead Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, replacing Sanju Samson — Report

AUS vs IND, 3rd T20I: Why Kuldeep Yadav and Sanju Samson are not playing

Sanju Samson scored only two runs in the previous T20I at MCG, and Jitesh Sharma has replaced him for the Hobart T20I. Although Sanju has been criticised for his inconsistent performances despite getting many opportunities in T20Is, he played some crucial roles in the Asia Cup T20I 2025 success, including scoring a valuable 24 runs in the Final against Pakistan, where he set a stable 57-run partnership for the fourth wicket with the hero Tilak Varma. Sanju was the third leading run-scorer for India in that tournament with 132 runs in four innings with an average of 33.00 and a strike rate of 124.52. If Sanju isn't injured, the latest drop may be harsh treatment for him.  

Meanwhile, Washington Sundar replaced Kuldeep Yadav for the Hobart T20I. This alteration may be to extend the batting line-up for the game, while the in-form Kuldeep will surely get more chances later. 

Also, India's leading T20I wicket-taker, the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, has joined the playing XI as a replacement for the right-arm fast bowler Harshit Rana. 

Australia vs India: Hobart T20I Playing XIs

Australia Playing XI: Mitchell Marsh (Captain), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Matt Short, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Sean Abbott, Matt Kuhnemann

India Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

While the Indian batters were struggling at MCG, opener Abhishek Sharma maintained his furious batting as the visitors India's innings hung on in the second game of the five-match T20I series. 

Australian captain Mitchell Marsh sent the visitors to bat first, but most of the Indian batters completely struggled against the Aussie pacers. Josh Hazlewood provided a strong start as he took three wickets of the first four Indian wickets, as India scored 40/4 at the end of the powerplay.

[WATCH] Harshit Rana smashes splendid 6 during AUS vs IND 2nd T20I at MCG

Abhishek Sharma recorded a 23-ball 50, stretched to 68 off 37 balls

India lost their fifth wicket in the eighth over as Axar Patel was run out. While Harshit Rana was promoted in the batting order, Abhishek Sharma got some useful help from him. Despite the falling regular wickets from the other end, it couldn't disrupt Abhishek's familiar strong aggressive batting performance. 

Opener Abhishek recorded his sixth T20I half-century as he completed it in just 23 balls, which was incredible, while the other Indian batters completely failed on the MCG pitch. It was Abhishek's first T20I fifty against Australia. 

Abhishek and Harshit Rana had a 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Rana scored 35 off 33 balls with three fours and one six, but after his dismissal, Abhishek didn't get any support from the other end. Despite massive pressure, Abhishek scored 68 off 37 balls with eight fours and two sixes, as he was ultimately dismissed by Nathan Ellis in the 19th over. Only Abhishek and Rana managed to reach double-digit scores in the innings, as India were bowled out for only 125 runs in 18.4 overs. 

Josh Hazlewood set the tone

Among the Australian bowlers, Josh Hazlewood was the best with the bowling figures of 4-0-13-3. Also, Xavier Bartlett (2/39) and Nathan Ellis (2/21) got two wickets each, while Marcus Stoinis had one wicket (1/24).

In the dead rubber game of the three-match ODI series against the hosts Australia at Sydney on Saturday (October 25), India claimed a dominant win, as they beat the hosts by nine wickets with 69 balls remaining after successfully chasing the 237-run target in below 40 overs. 

Already securing the series by 2-0, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh chose to bat first at Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia were bowled out for 236 runs in 46.4 overs, while India chased down the target in 38.3 overs after losing only one wicket. 

[WATCH] Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli reflect on their playing career in Australia after AUS vs IND 2025 series

India recorded largest ODI win against the hosts Australia 

While India won by nine wickets, it was their largest ODI win (by wickets) against Australia in Australia. India's previous record was winning by eight wickets, which happened twice in 1985 and 1986. Meanwhile, it was also India's joint-largest ODI win in Australia, while they previously beat the UAE by nine wickets during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. 

India recorded fastest 220+ ODI chase vs Australia

While India chased the target in 38.3 overs, it was India's fastest 220-run chase in the ODI against Australia, as India won the match by 69 balls remaining at the end of the match. Their previous fastest record was successfully chasing the 251-run target in 41 overs during the 1986 Jaipur ODI. Meanwhile, their previous record of most balls remaining at the end of the match was 43 balls remaining when India successfully chased the 243-run target in 42.5 overs during the 2017 Nagpur ODI. 

AUS vs IND, 3rd ODI: Harshit Rana dominated with ball

The top six Aussie batters got starts, but most of them failed to capitalise on their starts. While Matt Renshaw scored 56 runs off 58 balls, opener and captain Mitchell Marsh scored 41 off 50 balls. Matthew Short was the only other batter in that innings to reach the 30-run mark by scoring 30 runs. 

All six Indian bowlers managed to pick up wickets, while Harshit Rana enjoyed the best bowling figures in his ODI career by recording 8.4-0-39-4. 

AUS vs IND, 3rd ODI: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli brought big relief with big knocks

In reply, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and the skipper Shubman Gill set a 69-run partnership for the first wicket. After Gill was dismissed for 24 runs, Rohit and Virat Kohli set up a giant partnership of 168 runs for the unbroken second wicket, as the visitors claimed a comfortable win to avoid the series whitewash. Rohit scored his 33rd ODI century and 50th international hundred by reaching the three-figure mark in 105 balls. Rohit scored 121 off 125 balls with 13 fours and three sixes, while Kohli finally opened his account in the series and scored 74 not out off 81 balls with seven fours.

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli's international comeback had a rough start with his rarest back-to-back ducks in the ongoing Australia tour. In the third and final ODI of the series at Sydney, Kohli finally opened his account in the tour, as the crowd celebrated his first single in the series. 

Virat Kohli scored ducks in Perth and Adelaide ODIs

India have already lost the three-match away ODI series against Australia by losing the first two matches at Perth and Adelaide. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made their international cricket comeback on this tour, their last international match having been in the Final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 last March.

In both the first two games of the series, Kohli was dismissed for ducks. He scored an eight-ball duck in the series opener at Perth, as Mitchell Starc dismissed him. In their next game at Adelaide, Xavier Bartlett trapped him for an lbw on a four-ball duck.

Chasing down the 237-run target, Indian openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma provided a strong start with a 69-run partnership for the first wicket. After the new ODI skipper Gill was dismissed for 24 runs, Kohli got a great welcome from the crowd, as the former Indian captain joined another former Indian skipper.  

Twitter Reactions: Rohit Sharma celebrates successive fifty in AUS vs IND 3rd ODI

Watch: Virat Kohli and crowd celebrations after his first run in Sydney ODI

On the first delivery in the Sydney ODI, Kohli took a single to open his account for the first time in this tour. It was a great celebration from the crowd, while Kohli also celebrated with his smile and fist. We got a similar vibe to what the former Indian cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ajit Agarkar previously experienced in the Australia tour. 

So many emotions! ☺️🥹❤️

He’s off the mark & the crowd has made its happiness loud and clear! 🙌

Will we witness a Chase Master special from #ViratKohli tonight? 🔥#AUSvIND 👉 3rd ODI | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/0evPIuANAu pic.twitter.com/SZiBRnnvUY

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 25, 2025

India's ODI return wasn't impressive as they suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the rain-affected Perth ODI, which was the first game of the three-match ODI series against the hosts Australia. It was the much-awaited return of the two most popular Indian cricketers, the former Indian captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but their returns were far from memorable. Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has made a big comment on RoKo before their second ODI at Adelaide.

On Sunday (October 19), the ODI series opener was majorly affected due to the rain, as the first innings, where India batted, was stopped multiple times due to rain. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to international cricket after seven months, as they last appeared during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Final, but both of them struggled in the Perth ODI. While Rohit and Kohli are the top two most ODI run-scorers in the battle between Australia and India in Australia, Rohit was dismissed for eight runs, and Kohli recorded his first ODI duck in Australia. 

[WATCH] "10 Kgs down..."- Abhishek Nayar reveals Rohit Sharma's fitness to prepare for AUS vs IND 2025 ODI series

They were playing on probably the bounciest pitch in Australia: Sunil Gavaskar

While it was very sad for the Indian cricket fans are really sad with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's poor return in international cricket, Sunil Gavaskar is confident enough in both the legendary Indian cricketers. Gavaskar pointed out the crucial factor of India's poor performance in the ODI series opener.

Gavaskar told India Today, "They were playing on probably the bounciest pitch in Australia. It wasn’t going to be easy, especially for players who haven’t played international cricket for a couple of months. It was challenging for Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who usually play international cricket quite regularly."

Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the next two games: Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar feels that there will be no surprise of big scores from Rohit and Kohli in the next fixtures of this ODI series. The legendary Indian cricketer believes that once they find their rhythm back, India can comfortably score 300+ totals in the ODIs.  

Gavaskar added, "India are still a very, very good team. They’ve won the Champions Trophy. Don’t be surprised if Rohit and Kohli score big in the next two games. They are coming back after a few months away from international cricket. The more they play, the more time they spend in the nets, the more throwdowns they get — maybe even from the reserve bowlers bowling at them from 20 yards instead of 22 — the quicker they’ll find their rhythm. Once they’re back among the runs, India’s total will be 300, 300-plus."

India and Australia will face each other in the second ODI at Adelaide on Thursday (October 23). Sydney will host the last game of the ODI series on Saturday (October 25). 

It is the time for the exciting Australia vs India white-ball series, as both the top-class cricket rivals are ready to take on each other in Down Under. The Hindi commentators for these upcoming series have been revealed. 

India will play a 3-match ODI series and 5-match T20I series in Australia tour

India will play a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series against the hosts Australia. The ODI series will begin on October 19, and the T20I series will start on October 29, concluding on November 8. 

It will be the first Australia vs India white-ball series after December 2023, while they last played an ODI bilateral series before the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, in September 2023.

Perth (October 19), Adelaide (October 23), and Sydney (October 25) will host three ODIs between Australia and India. Later, Canberra (October 29), Melbourne (October 31), Hobert (November 2), Gold Coast (November 6), and Brisbane (November 8) will host the Australia vs India T20Is. 

See Also: 5 key milestones Rohit Sharma can reach in India vs Australia 2025 ODIs

Australia vs India 2025/26 white-ball series: Hindi commentators

The Hindi commentators for the upcoming Australia vs India white-ball bilateral series have been revealed. While Star Sports will telecast and JioHotstar will broadcast these series, all the Hindi commentators are very well known. It is an eight-member team, including six former Indian cricketers. 

These Hindi commentators for the upcoming Australia vs India white-ball series are: Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Aakash Chopra, Abhishek Nayar, Varun Aaron, Jatin Sapru & Anant Tyagi.

🚨 HINDI COMMENTATORS FOR INDIA Vs AUSTRALIA SERIES ON STAR SPORTS & JIOHOTSTAR 🚨

- Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Aakash Chopra, Abhishek Nayar, Varun Aaron, Jatin Sapru & Anant Tyagi. pic.twitter.com/havrj2kJll

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) October 15, 2025

Except for the only T20I in 2008, Australia have never won a T20I bilateral series against India at home, as India won two series and two more T20I series had drawn results. Meanwhile, in their three ODI bilateral series in Australia, India won once and the hosts won twice. 

The India head coach, Gautam Gambhir, came into the post-match press conference after the second Test of the two-match series against the West Indies, which they sealed by 2-0 after the seven-wicket victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He slammed the trolls, the young pacer of the Blue Brigade, Harshit Rana, faced for his consistent selection to the national side.

Rana made his international debut last year during the opening Perth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 before playing ODIs and T20Is in early 2025. He was also part of the Asia Cup 2025 and will be part of the white-ball series against Australia down under. However, he hasn’t been a consistent member of the eleven.

See Also: [WATCH] KL Rahul celebrates 20th Test 50 to seal 2-0 victory in IND vs WI 2nd Test

“It's shameful that someone wanting to run his YouTube channel is targeting a 23-year-old. If you want to target me, do it. I can handle it, but trolling a 23-year-old kid for YouTube views is shameful. Criticize me, I can handle it; he is just 23. It is not just him; it is about every young player.” Gambhir expressed during the post-match press conference in Delhi.

Gautam Gambhir slams trolls of Harshit Rana for ODI selection in Australia series

Rana has picked up 19 wickets in 11 innings across international cricket at an average of around 30, with the best of 3/31 during a 50-over encounter. The right-arm pacer also featured in the unofficial ODI game against the Australia A side, where he ended with figures of 3/61. Gambhir claimed that it’s a responsibility for others to look after the young players.

“Stop targeting them. I know it is important to perform, but you just can’t go after these kids. It is everyone’s moral responsibility to keep a check on this, you (media) and us.” Gambhir addressed the press conference.

Kris Srikkanth, the former opening batter of the Indian side, blasted the selection of the Delhi pacer for the national side. “Harshit Rana is a permanent because he is Gautam Gambhir's favourite. He is always a certainty and the first name on the team sheet after Shubman Gill.”

Australia will miss their veteran premier leg spinner, Adam Zampa, and wicket-keeper, Josh Inglis, for the opening ODI clash against India at Perth, starting on September 19. The former is missing due to paternity reasons, while Inglis hasn’t fully recovered from the calf-strain that kept him out of the T20I series against New Zealand.

The selectors have called Mathew Kuhnemann and Josh Phillippe for the India games as replacements. The latter is set to keep wickets for the first time in an ODI while Alex Carey plays a Sheffield Shield game as part of their Ashes 2025-26 preparation. Inglis has also been ruled out of the second ODI in Adelaide when Carey returns to the squad.

See Also: Mohmmed Siraj collapses after long spell to get king-like treatment during IND vs WI 2nd Test in Delhi

Zampa’s wife is in the late stages of pregnancy with their second child. He has decided to stay at home in NSW, as Perth is a challenging place to return from. He is expected to return for the next two games in Adelaide and Sydney before the following five-match T20I series, all of which will be played on the east coast.

Adam Zampa and Josh Inglis to miss Australia’s opening Perth ODI vs India

Kuhnemann has been called for the Perth game, which will be his first ODI in three years at home since facing Sri Lanka in 2022. He traveled across the world for the WTC final, a five-match T20I trip to the Caribbean, the three-match ODI and T20I series at home against South Africa, and the three-match T20I series against the Blackcaps, but featured in just one game in Jamaica.

Philippe hasn’t played an ODI since the Caribbean tour in 2021, when he played as a specialist batter. He hasn’t played any format for the national side since 2023, but has been an impressive performer for the A side in red-ball series and has an excellent one-day domestic record for NSW and Western Australia.

Australia’s updated ODI squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa