It turns out Maxwell is quite the mountaineer.
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Shaun Marsh was in his groove quickly during a 48-run opening stand, before he was joined by captain Smith for an additional 60. Australia needed 65 off the last 10 overs with Maxwell and Faulkner at the crease, then 35 off the last seven. But he skied a catch next ball and left Faulkner to finish the job.
The only thing which set the latest chase apart from the two over the past week was that rather than beating India through relentless rotation of the strike they did it by finding the boundary more regularly. Maxwell held his nerve for a vital half-century, this after Matthew Wade lost his cool to sky a catch off Sharma. This was a replica of the first two matches in Perth and Brisbane, where Australia had again chased record totals.
Put into bat, India suffered an early setback as the law of average caught up with opener Rohit Sharma who, after centuries in the last two matches, fell for six in the fifth over. India, invited to bat by Steve Smith, posted a total of 295-6 thanks to a run-a-ball knock of 117 from Virat Kohli. The 27-year-old’s malleable wrists were responsible for many of his runs, although a couple of heaved sixes off Scott Boland were all about power. Kohli came up with the ideal reply to Faulkner’s sledge and the Australian had no comeback for that.
Australia had opted to give John Hastings another run in the XI, packing the side with three allrounders, and Hastings repaid the decision handsomely, with 4 for 58 and some good bowling at the death that denied India too much of a lift-off.
Kohli eventually popped up a Hastings delivery to George Bailey at cover, but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came in and smashed 23 from nine balls to get India to their final score.
India included two debutants in their side, with Gurkeerat Singh and Rishi Dhawan both named.
Kohli found a more fluent partner in Ajinkya Rahane and the duo helped India up the ante.
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India were batting first for the third time this series and had made a few surprising changes for the must-win game.
