Skipper Yadav leads from the front with unbeaten 49-ball 84 to rescue India after batting collapse, while bowlers keep it tight as hosts defend 161-9 to beat USA by 29 runs in their T20 World Cup campaign-opener at Wankhede
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav celebrates his half-century against USA at Wankhede on Saturday
Suryakumar Yadav’s first World Cup outing as India’s captain was rapidly turning pear-shaped when the skipper decided to take things into his own hands on Saturday night.
An extraordinary top-order collapse, resulting from disciplined bowling from United States, a tacky surface and injudicious shot-selection, had the hosts reeling at 77 for six on being put in. A packed gathering at the Wankhede Stadium went completely silent, fearing the worst.
Suryakumar (84 not out off 49 balls) has grown up playing most of his cricket at this venue. Drawing on familiarity, showing great restraint and unwilling to get sucked into a battle of egos, he bided his time.
Mohammed Siraj (centre) celebrates after taking the wicket of USA opener Andries Gous
Shadley van Schalkwyk had done the bulk of the damage with three wickets in his first over, the last of the Powerplay, after Abhishek Sharma had fallen for a golden duck, and as the middle order caved in meekly, the 35-year-old realised that he had no option but to play through the innings.
Crucial 41-run stand
In an essay of two distinct halves, Suryakumar was content to rotate the strike for the first part, steadying the ship with Axar Patel during a seventh-wicket stand of 41. Put down by Shubham Ranjane on his follow-through when only 15, Suryakumar was 47 off 35 at Axar’s fall.
Then came a series of audacious shots, several of which involved walking across his stumps, fetching the ball from well outside off and scooping it over or behind square on the on-side while finding himself on his backside at the completion of the stroke.
Having reached his half-century off 36 balls, Suryakumar delivered a brutal final kick as the last five overs produced 67. As many as 21 of those came in the final over from Saurabh Netravalkar and Suryakumar walked off to a standing ovation, having hauled his side to 161-9.
US lose quick wickets
United States’s cause wasn’t helped by several dropped catches early on, and an untimely groin injury to Ali Khan, their death-overs specialist, who couldn’t bowl his last two overs. They needed to bat out of their skins even though India were without the unwell Jasprit Bumrah, but lost three wickets in the first four overs and were never in contention.
Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi flourished briefly and Ranjane lashed out towards the end but US could only manage 132 for eight, leaving India victors by 29 runs. Not convincing, but points on the board and an early wake-up call.
1074
No. of runs scored by Suryakumar Yadav as T20I skipper; the fourth Indian captain after MS Dhoni (1112), Virat Kohli (1570), and Rohit Sharma (1905) to go past the 1000-run mark
84*
No. of runs scored by Suryakumar on Saturday — the second-highest score in debut innings as T20 World Cup captain after WI’s Chris Gayle’s 88 vs Australia in 2009
Three
No of golden ducks for Abhishek Sharma in his last five T20Is
0-65
Pacer Saurabh Netravalkar’s figures against India — the most expensive ever in a T20 World Cup, surpassing SL’s Sanath Jayasuriya’s 0-64 against Pakistan in 2007. It is also the worst figures by a USA bowler in T20Is
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