Visakhapatnam, November 24: Captain Suryakumar Yadav displayed his leadership skills as India shocked India by two wickets in the opening T20 match of the five-match series against Australia. Opting to bat first, India faced a tough challenge as Australia posted a strong score of 208/3 on the back of Josh England’s brilliant century and his 130-run partnership with Steve Smith.
In his first match as India captain, Suryakumar Yadav led from the front with a brilliant 80 off 42 balls. He, along with Ishan Kishan, contributed 58 overs in quick succession in the crushing 39 overs, India’s chase. Behind early wickets including Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the duo’s dramatics set the stage for a false success run chase – a record in T20Is on Indian soil.
- Advertisement -
The drama unfolded in the over, when India needed seven runs to win the final. Rinku Singh’s four on the first ball and important contributions from other players kept the game in an exciting situation. Rinku Singh won the match with a powerful shot in the no-ball of Sean Abbott on the last ball.
A nail-biting finish but plenty of pleasant faces in and out of the dressing room in Vizag 😃👌
Some BTS from #TeamIndia‘s win against Australia in Vizag 📽️🏟️#INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/TL67wcXavQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 24, 2023
Suryakumar Yadav’s innings included nine styles and four artistes, who performed a 360-degree challenge. Ishan Kishan has incorporated the compound developed together while performing in the Indian Premier League for Mumbai Indians.
Earlier, the Indian stars led by Mukesh Kumar and Axar Patel made a comeback in the final overs as England and the Smith-led side took over the attack. England scored the joint fastest century in T20I for Australia by playing a brilliant inning of 110 runs in 50 balls. Along with Smith, he scored a century of 130 runs for the second wicket, which created a new record for Australia in this format.
Despite Australia’s strong score, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh scored a stellar victory, giving India the lead in the five-match series. The record will be played again in the second T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, November 26.
