Ashton Turner bludgeoned 84 off 43 balls as Australia beat India by four wickets in the fourth ODI on Sunday to level the five-match series 2-2.
Handscomb and Turner put on 42 runs as the game changed course toward Australia in the final power play. Even when Handscomb was caught at long on off Yuzvendra Chahal (1-80) in the 42nd over, Australia remained in contention.
Playing only his second ODI, Turner made great use of the conditions as he smacked five fours and six sixes to stun the Mohali crowd, putting on 86 runs with Alex Carey (21).
He reached his maiden half-century off 33 balls and gained from two dropped catches in an over off Kumar, taking Australia across the finish line with 13 balls to spare.
Team India’s opener Shikhar Dhawan lauded Turner for his batting but he completely forgot his name.
“He’s a new player but we knew that – he already (played). Of course, ‘that guy’ played a really good knock and took the game away from us,” Dhawan told the media in Mohali.
“But if there wasn’t any dew it wouldn’t be possible to play those shots. Because of the dew those things just got away from us. Credit goes to him that he played a great knock.”
Cricket Australia’s official website took a cheeky dig at Dhawan. “Ash who? ‘That guy’ leaves India reeling,” reads the headline of one of their news stories.