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The fifth T20I between India and Australia on Sunday was a nail-biting affair that ended with the hosts securing a hard-fought six-run victory while defending a target of 161 runs. With this win, Team India clinched the series 4-1, their first under the leadership of stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
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However, the series and the match did not conclude without a touch of drama, with the umpiring coming under scrutiny in the closing stages. The controversial incident unfolded at the start of the final over, where Arshdeep Singh had the daunting task of defending 10 runs. The left-arm pacer began with a bouncer that sailed over the head of Australian skipper Matthew Wade. However, the Indian umpire, Virender Sharma, failed to signal a wide, much to Wade's dismay. Wade engaged in a brief but fruitless protest.
The drama continued on the fifth ball of the over when Nathan Ellis managed to connect with his bat. The bowler attempted to cling on to the catch but was unsuccessful. The ball's velocity was such that the umpire was unable to evade it in time, taking a hit to his abdomen. This added to the frustration of the visiting Australian team, who were determined to salvage some pride in the final match of the series.
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India rode on Arshdeep Singh's stunning last-over heroics to thrash Australia in the fifth T20I at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on December 3. India posted a total of 160/8, thanks to Shreyas Iyer's blistering 53 off 37. In reply, Indian bowlers troubled Australia, who at one point looked comfortably cruising towards victory. In the last over when Australia needed just 10 runs, Arshdeep brought his A game to the fore and gave away just three runs to seal the match for India. Arshdeep bowled two back-to-back dots in the ultimate over and then followed it up with a prized wicket of Australian skipper Matthew Wade to almost turn the match in India's favour. Australia eventually were reduced to 154/8 and were handed a six-run defeat to sign off the series on a losing note. India will now be touring to South Africa for multi-format series which is scheduled to kick off from December 10.
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