Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch starred with the bat as Australia posted 313 in the third ODI against India in Ranchi.

Aaron Finch finally regained his form and forged a century-plus stand with Usman Khawaja in the do-or-die game. India’s decision to bowl first backfired completely as Finch and Khawaja looked determined to put up a strong show. The duo started cautiously, collecting 52 runs from the first ten overs to give the kind of start Australia would have needed after the unimpressive batting shows in the first two ODIs.

As the game wore on, the duo found their rhythm and started playing the big shots. Finch targeted part-time spinner Kedar Jadhav to collect some quick runs and the move paid off. In the first over, Jadhav conceded 13 runs before Finch hit him for two six and a four in his second over and the seventeenth over of the innings.  Australia reached the 100-run mark while Finch scored a much-needed fifty in that very over. Two overs later, Khawaja reached his fifty too as Australia raced away to 124 for no loss at the end of the 20th over.

Credits: CA

India threw everything at the duo but nothing worked. The breakthrough finally came in the 32nd over when Kuldeep Yadav trapped Finch for 93, thus ending the 193-run stand.

With the platform set for a huge score, Australia promoted Glenn Maxwell to number three and he started off well. He hit a flurry of boundaries to set the tone before Khawaja reached his maiden ton off 107 deliveries.  He, however, soon departed after scoring 104, falling to Mohammed Shami.

India then heaved a sigh of relief when Maxwell was run out for 47 in the 42nd over. The knock came off 31 balls and was studded with three fours and three sixes. Kuldeep Yadav then dismissed Shaun Marsh andPeter Handscomb inside an over to give India a chance to put a brake on the scoring rate.  Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey then steadied the ship, sharing an unbeaten partnership of 50 runs to take Australia to over 300.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the innings:

https://twitter.com/monicas004/status/1103974360497434624