Canberra: India’s concussion substitute Yuzvendra Chahal, who came in for Ravindra Jadeja during Australia’s innings, picked three for 25 in his four overs to help India beat Australia by 11 runs in the first T20 International at the Manuka Oval on Friday. This was India’s sixth win over Australia in 10 T20Is on Australian soil. The win helped India take 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.
India had earlier lost the ODI series 1-2. Chahal (3/25), who took the field as Jadeja could not play as a bowler in Australia’s innings after taking a hit on his head off Mitchell Starc’s short ball during his unbeaten knock of 23-ball 44, took the important wickets of skipper Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Matthew Wade to dent the Aussie chase of 162.
The Australians had got off to a good start but Chahal removed Finch and Smith in his first two overs. He came back to get rid of Wade as the Aussie middle-order batsman looked for a big hit in the face of a rising required run rate. T Natarajan (3/30) was the other successful bowler as he picked the wickets of Glenn Maxwell, D’Arcy Short and Mitchell Starc. The decision to bring in Chahal for Jadeja, who just before getting hit on his head was already limping did not please Australia coach Justin Langer who was seen discussing the issue with match referee David Boon.
Earlier, a well compiled half century from KL Rahul and the late onslaught from Jadeja helped India post 161. Put into bat, India didn’t have a great start as they lost a wicket early in the innings. Shikhar Dhawan was undone by an outswinger in the third over bowled by Mitchell Starc and went back to the pavilion after scoring just one. Rahul continued his good run and kept scoring boundaries whenever the Australian bowlers erred and along with Sanju Samson, took the Indian innings forward. Samson, during his stay at the wicket, played beautiful shots and made 23 off 15 before he was caught at covers while trying to hit a boundary against Moises Henriques. Next batsman Manish Pandey (2 off 8) didn’t stay long at the crease and was sent back to the dressing room by Adam Zampa. Rahul, who was till then holding one end up, soon became the second scalp of Henriques who had the India wicket keeper batsman caught in the deep by Sean Abbott. Rahul smashed five fours and a six during his 40-ball innings. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya scored 16 off 15 before getting caught at long-off by Steve Smith while trying to go for a maximum against Henriques.
Brief scores: India 161/7 (KL Rahul 51, Ravindra Jadeja 44*; Moises Henriques 3/22) beat Australia 150/7 in 20 overs (A Finch 35, M Henriques 30, Y Chahal 3/25, T Natarajan 3/30)
I LEARNED HOW TO BOWL FROM ZAMPA: CHAHAL
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who came in as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja and took three for 25 to help India win the first T20 International and clinch the Man-of-the-Match award, said that he was mentally prepared to replace Jadeja and took the cue from Adam Zampa to bowl flatter to regain form. Chahal’s performnace was miserable in the ODI series, as he conceded 160 runs in 20 overs in two matches and picked just one wicket. After Australia took an unassailable 2-0 in the series, he was dropped for the last ODI and Kuldeep Yadav replaced him for the third and final game at Manuka Oval on Wednesday. But luck smiled on Chahal on Friday, as he was drafted in to replace Ravindra Jadeja as concussion substitute, having been left out of the playing XI initially. Jadeja was hit on the head by a ball from Mitchell Starc towards the end of India innings and complained of dizziness.