Finance
Suryakumar Yadav hit a 42-ball 80 and Ishan Kishan hit 58 off 39 balls as India cruised to a two-wicket win over Australia in the first T20I of the five-match series here on Thursday.
Suryakumar chose to bowl first in his first match as India captain, and Australia rode a brilliant, blazing century by Josh Inglis off 47 balls and his 130-run partnership with Steve Smith as the visitors posted 208/3 in their 20 overs.
With Inglis and Smith producing the biggest second-wicket stand for Australia, surpassing David Warner and Michell Marsh’s 124-run partnership, it appeared that Australia was going to demolish India, much as they did in the final of the Men’s ODI World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
India, on the other hand, overcame some nervous moments before soaring to 209/8 on the penultimate ball to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan hit half-centuries after India lost Ruturaj Gaikwad for zero, run out off the fifth ball of the first over, and Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for a stunning 8-ball 21 as India set a new record for the biggest successful chase in a T20I in India. They both played some brilliant shots as they put India on course for victory.
But, with the Indians needing seven runs off the last six balls, Rinku Singh blasted a boundary off the opening ball and took one bye. However, Axar Patel holed out off the next delivery when attempting the two runs required to win the victory, and Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh, both attempting a second, were run out off successive balls. Sean Abbott delivered a no-ball that Rinku hammered out of the ground for a thrilling end to the enthralling battle, needing one run to win off the last delivery. Rinku maintained his unblemished record with a 14-ball 22.
Suryakumar hit nine fours and four sixes in his 42-ball 80, and Ishan Kishan hit two fours and four maximums to put India on course for victory, using their experience of playing together for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Earlier, India’s bowlers clawed their way back in the final overs after Josh Inglis and Steve Smith put Australia in a commanding position in the middle overs.
While Bishnoi and Prasidh Krishna each took a wicket, it was Mukesh Kumar and Axar Patel who put the brakes on the surging Australian hitters, giving up 61 runs in their eight overs.
Inglis (110) hit the joint-fastest T20I century for his country and shared 130 runs for the second wicket with Steven Smith (52).
Inglis smashed his century from 47 balls, hitting nine fours and eight sixes as he raced to 110 off 50 deliveries after Idnia skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field first at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Inglis, the fifth Australian batsman to reach a century in T20 Internationals, scored 130 runs for the second wicket with Steve Smith, Australia’s greatest second-wicket stand in this format.
After teenage spinner Ravi Bishnoi had sent Matthew Short (13) packing in the fifth over with Australia at 31/1, Inglis joined Smith in the middle. With Inglis blazing his way to his half-century in 29 balls, he swung, slogged, heaved, and hoicked the ball to all sides of the stadium.
Smith, on the other hand, had a patient knock, scoring 52 off 41 balls and hitting eight fours in total.
They brought the Australian score to 161 in the 16th over when Smith was caught well short of the crease at the bowler’s end by a good through by Prasidh Krishna to Mukesh Kumar.
Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Rinku Singh, however, ensured that India successfully staged the biggest run chase in T20 Internationals.
India will play Australia in the second Twenty20 International on Sunday (November 26) in Thiruvananthapuram.
Brief scores:
Australia 208/3 in 20 overs (Josh Inglis 110, Steve Smith 52; Ravi Bishnoi 1-54, Prasidh Krishna 1-50) lost to India 209/8 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 80, Ishan Kishan 58, Rinku Singh 22, Tanveer Sangha 2-42) by two wickets.
