STATE TIMES NEWS
VISAKHAPATNAM: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav shrugged off the disappointment of a World Cup final defeat with a captain’s knock but it was Rinku Singh’s composure that took a young Indian team to a thrilling two-wicket victory in the opening T20 International here on Thursday.
This was India’s highest successful chase in T20 Internationals.
The skipper was in belligerent mood making a mockery of a 209-run chase with 80 off just 42 balls but Rinku’s 22 not off 14 balls saved India from the blushes.
India needed 14 off 12 balls after Surya departed but Axar Patel bungled big time and the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh also were run-out in a jiffy.
With a single needed off the final delivery, Sean Abbott was deposited into the stands by Rinku but to everyone’s delight, it turned out to be a big no-ball and hence the maximum wasn’t counted. India thus won with a ball to spare.
However, what stood out was Rinku’s fearlessness and the sense of occasion and execution under pressure.
Ishan Kishan also brushed aside initial rustiness to smack five sixes in his 39-ball-58 and was an ideal companion for his skipper in a run-chase which became easy due to a flat batting track, short boundaries and lot of dew during the second innings.
What the 112-run stand in 10 overs between Surya and Kishan did for India was keep them at par with Australia and in the hunt for a win.
Rinku, the ‘designated finisher’ of T20 team, showed little nerves while lending the finishing touches with some lusty blows after Axar Patel’s 2 off 6 balls seemed like increasing tension in the dug-out.
Kishan initially had only two runs off his first eight deliveries but once Surya played his customary pick-up short off Jason Behrendorff behind the keeper for a six, the keeper-batter seemed to gain some confidence as he lofted Sean Abbott over deep mid-wicket for a huge six.
Surya lofted Abbott for a maximum and both got going as Kishan found his match-up in leg-break bowler Tanveer Sangha, who was sent on a leather-hunt.
Sangha’s leg-breaks were literally long-hops coming into left-hander and three of Kishan’s five sixes were muscled in the same region but it was the hunger for a sixth six over extra cover that brought about his downfall.
His skipper, however, hit the best six of the match when he brought about his first half-century with a lofted on-drive off Abbott.
Earlier, India’s young bowling attack got a rude reality check as a dominant Josh Inglis smoked them to all parts of the ground with a cracking 110 off 50 balls, taking Australia to a healthy 208 for three.
