Team India began their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a tight 6-run victory over hosts Australia in their first warm-up fixture, on Monday in Geelong.
Riding on half-centuries from KL Rahul (57 off 33) and Suryakumar Yadav (50 off 33), India posted what seemed a slightly above-par score of 186. Australia looked in control of the chase as skipper Aaron Finch hit 76 off 54 balls and opening in this game Mitchell Marsh scored 35 off 18.
However, the Indian death bowlers stepped up today and that is the biggest positive for the Men In Blue from this warm-up match. Australia needed 29 in the last three overs.
Arshdeep Singh gave away 13 runs in the 18th over, but took the wicket of Marcus Stoinis before Harshal Patel and the returning Mohammed Shami delivered two high-quality death overs. Patel stuck with his slower ball to castle the well-set Finch and conceded only 5 runs in the 19th over.
Mohammed Shami, who hadn’t bowled a single ball in the game till then, was summoned to bowl the last over with 11 runs needed. Cummins took two doubles on the first two balls before holing out at long-on to a terrific one-handed catch from Virat Kohli. Then Ashton Agar got run-out before Shami yorked out the next two batters.
Watch: KL Rahul’s helicopter shot, Cummins responds with an accurate bouncer
Earlier in the game, India opener KL Rahul went gung-ho from the outset of his innings and was in his attacking mood as he notched up his fifty in 27 balls. During his entertaining knock, KL Rahul played some eye-catching shots, none more than the whip-ish half-helicopter six to fast bowler Pat Cummins.
It was a length ball at the stumps, Rahul picked up the length early and nonchalantly sent it over the deep mid-wicket fence with a stylish helicopter shot using his bottom-hand power.
Pat Cummins, though, retorted strongly with a sharp bouncer that climbed on KL Rahul who couldn’t get his bat up in time nor could get his head away from the line of the delivery and got smacked on his helmet.
You can watch these two balls of gripping action here:
— Guess Karo (@KuchNahiUkhada) October 17, 2022
