Watch: Shreyas Iyer slogged Nathan Ellis across the line for a big six in the final over of India’s innings to reach his eighth T20I fifty in the fifth T20I of the IND vs AUS series at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru today (December 3).

India lost the toss and were sent into bat on an overcast evening with bit of rain around. On an uncharacteristically sticky Bengaluru wicket, the Australia bowlers bowled well to tie the Indian batting order down.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was the first to perish after hitting two cracking pull shots for six. He fell for 21 off 15 before Ben Dwarshius got Ruturaj Gaikwad to hit one straight to mid-off in the fifth over to reduce India to 33-2.

The usually flamboyant Suryakumar Yadav wasn’t able to get going either. After having a catch dropped early on, he gave a second chance to Ben McDermott at point which was gleefully accepted. Rinku Singh then got out trying to take Tanveer Sangha on as India slipped to 55-4 in 9.1 overs.

Iyer, who had come in to bat at No.3, then stitched a partnership with Jitesh Sharma for the fifth wicket. The latter took the bowling on, while Iyer stayed put, anchoring the innings from one end.

At one point, he was batting on 12 off 15 balls when he hit his first six to break the shackles – a casual lofted drive over long off in the eleventh over.

There was no looking back for him after that as he continued the momentum into the latter half of India’s innings. Batting on 34 off 27 at the start of the 17th over, Iyer added 19 runs off his last 10 balls to take India past 150.

He reached his fifty courtesy of a muscled slog over mid-wicket off a Nathan Ellis back-of-the-hand slower ball on the second ball of the last over. While Ellis soon had his revenge, castling Iyer’s stumps with an unplayable yorker two balls later, Iyer had done his job and taken India to a competitive total by then.

India finished on 160-8, off which 53 came off the bat of Iyer in just 37 balls.

Watch Shreyas Iyer deposit huge six over mid-wicket to reach eighth T20I fifty:

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