'Ash the Bash' stuns after late call-up

In the wake of Australia's six-wicket loss to India in the first ODI in Hyderabad, paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile fronted the media and made a bold declaration about debutant Ashton Turner, who made 21.

"We haven't seen the best of him, but I promise you we will," Coulter-Nile said. "At the back end he'll turn one on for us and get 60 off 30 balls.

"He's an excellent player of spin and hits the ball a long way."

On Sunday night in Mohali, we saw the best of Turner and Coulter-Nile's promise and prediction was precise.

Turner hammered an unbeaten 84 from 43 balls to power Australia to their highest-successful run chase in their glittering ODI history to level the five-match series against India at 2-2.

He entered the action at 4-229 with his side requiring 130 runs from 83 balls.

He left the field with a six-wicket win under his belt and 13 balls to spare.

In just over an hour in the middle, he sent five deliveries to the boundary and six over it, a stunning display of hitting that mixed brute strength and brave skill against one of the best, if not the best, one-day bowling attacks in the world.

But only 10 hours earlier, Turner couldn't have imagined he'd win player-of-the-match honours for his hand in Australia's greatest-ever run chase. He didn't even think he was playing.

"I turned up to the ground today and Marcus Stoinis was doing a fitness test, he's got a broken thumb," Turner said after play.

"He's a pretty tough bloke so I thought he'd get up and play and I'd be running drinks again.

"It was a last-minute (change) to transition my mind from not playing to playing.

"I feel like I've had a great opportunity to hit lots of balls in the nets and get used to these conditions behind the scenes. I had a lot of confidence I was ready to go if I was given the chance.

"It's not every day that we get to play this well as a team in foreign conditions and I thought India played really well as well and it was a great game of cricket."

Watching Turner's innings unfold high up in the commentary box was former Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden.

Hayden has been a regular guest of coach Justin Langer to training this tour, a huge presence both physically and historically as one of the few Australian batsmen to truly dominate in Indian conditions.

Turner, a mild-mannered 26-year-old who speaks like Clark Kent but batted like Superman on Sunday night, said the influence Hayden has had on him over as an inspirational opener to more recently as a mentor contributed to his unforgettable knock.

"'Haydos' has been great to me," Turner said. "I was really privileged to get my cap presented by Haydos in Hyderabad.

"I'm still nervous standing around and talking with him.

"He's spent a lot of time with me in the nets, was a brilliant player of spin bowling, especially over here in India.

"It's great to just sit down and talk batting with him, he's a legend and someone I always looked up to."

Turner had his fair share of luck –  a missed stumping on 38 and two drop catches with victory in sight – but he couldn't have launched his late-innings cameo without the foundation that was laid by Peter Handscomb and Usman Khawaja, who together put on 192 for the third wicket after Australia were reduced to 2-12.

Handscomb posted his maiden ODI century – 117 from 105 balls – while Khawaja's good form continued with a crucial 91.

But leave it to India captain Virat Kohli to call out Turner's innings as the one that made the difference in the match as the series heads to Delhi for Wednesday's decider.

"Ashton played a hell of a knock, Handscomb played a really good innings to hold the innings together, Khawaja was good again," Kohli said.

"But Ashton's innings was the game-changer."

Qantas Tour of India

First T20: Australia won by three wickets

Second T20: Australia won by seven wickets

First ODI: India won by six wickets

Second ODI: India won by eight runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 32 runs

Fourth ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Fifth ODI: March 13, Delhi