India beats Australia by 4 wickets in 3rd T20, ties series

Captain Virat Kohli made an unbeaten 61 to steer India to a six-wicket win over Australia in the third Twenty20 international on Sunday, tying the rain-affected three-match series at 1-1.

India produced significant partnerships at both ends of the innings to ease past Australia's competitive total of 164-6, reaching 168-4 with two balls to spare.

Shikhar Dhawan (41) and Rohit Sharma (23) put on 67 from 33 balls for the first wicket then, after Adam Zampa and A.J. Tye had helped Australia pull back the run-rate, Kohli closed out the match in an unbroken partnership of 60 from 39 balls with Dinesh Karthik (22 not out).

Australia's Alex Carey reacts after taking a catch to dismiss India's Rishabh Pant during their Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

En-route, Kohil reached his 19th Twenty20 international half century from 35 balls, urged on by a capacity crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground in which India fans overwhelmingly outnumbered Australians.

Australia won the first match of the series at Brisbane and the second at Melbourne was lost to rain, presenting the home side with the chance on Sunday to achieve its first ever T20 series win over India.

Captain Aaron Finch (28) and D'Arcy Short (33) set a sound platform for Australia, who elected to bat after winning the toss, putting on 68 for the first wicket. But after conceding 12 runs from his first over, left-armer Krunal Pandya fought back to take 4-36 — the best figures by a spinner in a T20 international in Australia — and Kuldeep Yadav took 1-19 as India's spinners dominated on a slow SCG pitch.

Australia's Andrew Tye, centre, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing India's Rishabh Pant during their Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

Kuldeep struck first, removing Finch to a catch by Pandya at backward square, and Australia's innings began to unravel. It lost three wickets for five runs in the space of five balls, including Short and Ben McDermott to consecutive balls from Pandya. That saw Australia slip to 76-3 after 10 overs.

Australia struggled to regain momentum, especially as it chose to bat the big-hitting Chris Lynn down the order, apparently to keep him from facing the spinners. Alex Carey helped the home side regroup, hitting 27 from 10 balls.

Marcus Stoinis added an unbeaten 25 from 15 balls and Nathan Coulter-Nile 13 from seven as Australia took 57 runs from its last five overs.

India's Shikhar Dhawan waves after being named man of the series after their Twenty20 cricket match against Australia in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. India won the match and the series is drawn 1-1. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

The Australian innings did not contain a six and the first of the match came in the fourth over of the India innings when Rohit flicked Coulter-Nile off his hip and deep into the packed grandstands.

Dhawan was the pacemaker, at one stage taking 24 runs in five balls with two sixes and three fours. After five overs India was 62-0 and well on the way to victory.

Zampa brought Australia back into the match when he took the wicket of Sharma. Again, when India threatened to get away, Tye produced the wicket of Rishabh Pant with his first ball and helped put the contest on a more level footing.

India's Virhat Kohli right, celebrates with teammate Dinesh Karthik during their Twenty20 cricket match against Australia in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

After 15 overs, India was 113-4 where Australia had been 107-4. But with Kohli still at the crease, the contest was very much in India's favor and he showed all of his experience in managing the run chase.

When things threatened to stall, he hit a four and a six off Tye in the 16th over to put India back on top.

India came to the last over needing six runs to win. Tye didn't concede a run from his first two balls but Kohli dispatched the next two for fours, the last one down the ground, to clinch India's victory and level the series.

India's Virhat Kohli, left, is congratulated by Australia's captain Aaron Finch after winning their Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

India's Virhat Kohli, left, is congratulated by Australia's captain Aaron Finch after winning their Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

India's Virhat Kohli waves his bat to the crowd as he celebrates his team's six wicket win over Australia in their Twenty20 cricket match in Sydney, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. (AP PhotoRick Rycroft)

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Marco Odermatt already has no equals on the World Cup skiing circuit.

Now the Swiss star is unmatched in the biggest event on home snow, too.

Odermatt dominated a shortened race Saturday to set up his fourth career downhill victory in Wengen — breaking a tie for the most downhill victories on the famed Lauberhorn course with Franz Klammer and Beat Feuz.

Austrian standout Klammer claimed his three Wengen downhill wins in the 1970s while Feuz, another Swiss skier, claimed his third victory in 2020.

What’s more is that Odermatt’s four wins have come in succession.

Odermatt finished a massive 0.79 seconds ahead of Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and 0.90 ahead of Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed his first career victory in Friday's super-G.

Strong winds prompted organizers to drastically shorten the course — making the narrow and tactical “Kernen S” section the key to the race. Odermatt mastered the section perfectly and carried away a faster speed on the exit than anyone else.

Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Money, two other Swiss skiers, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Von Allmen, the world champion in downhill last season, took a riskier approach and skied into a television camera lining the course inside the “S” section. Then he crashed in the finish area — although appeared unhurt.

Dominik Paris of Italy was sixth after registering the top speed at 151.57 kph (94 kph).

It’s the first of the two weekends at the circuit’s classic venues, with Kitzbuehel, Austria, up next. Then the focus will switch to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy — with the men to ski in Bormio.

Odermatt won gold in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and will be favored to win multiple medals at the upcoming Games.

Overall, it was Odermatt’s 52nd World Cup victory, moving him within two wins of matching Hermann Maier for third place on the all-time men’s list. He's also got a massive lead in the standings as he chases a fifth consecutive overall World Cup title.

Odermatt immediately knew he had done something special again, screaming with delight in the finish area and waving to the crowd, which was made up almost entirely of fans waving Swiss flags.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen crashes at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Spectators gather to follow an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts in the finish area during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts in the finish area during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP)