Super-sub Chahal seals win after Jadeja sets it up
BCCI names Shardul Thakur in T20 squad after Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the series following concussion
MUMBAI: A series that was originally meant to be a warm-up to the T20 World Cup in Australia became an opportunity to experiment for both sides with the global event pushed back to 2021. That is the only rationale India can cite on why they didn’t play their attacking T20 spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, with 21 IPL wickets behind him.
But who would have thought when Virat Kohli handed over the team sheet at the toss, that it would be his wiry RCB leg-spinner who would play a part, and a crucial one at that, in India’s 11-run win at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Friday.
Chahal came on as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja, who was later ruled out of the series and Shardul Thakur named replacement. Chahal, like he often does, was the first amongst the wickets, getting Aaron Finch and Steve Smith. Finch fell to a looped-up legbreak and Smith was out, failing to clear the boundary.
India’s other bowing hero was none other than the find from Chinnappampatti village in Tamil Nadu—left-arm pacer T Natarajan. He first got the dangerous Glenn Maxwell, who was beaten for pace in the 11th over. A cross-seamer got opener D’Arcy Short, caught at long-on. A perfect yorker, to keep with his reputation, sent back Mitchell Starc in the 19th over and sealed the issue. Natarajan filled in successfully at the death for the rested Jasprit Bumrah, no mean feat.
It wasn’t a perfect outing for India defending 161, after a listless effort in the opening powerplay.
The Australian openers raced to 53, until they gave two chances in the seventh over by Deepak Chahar. Manish Pandey and Kohli spilled the catches.
India’s struggle in the middle overs was acute, managing only 62 off 10 overs before Jadeja’s onslaught. Jadeja launched into Josh Hazlewood in the 19th over collecting 23 runs. Another 12 came off Starc, eight off boundaries after being hit on the helmet. India scored 57 off the last four overs. And Chahal and Natarajan made sure they were enough.
Brief scores: India 161/7 (Rahul 51, Ravindra Jadeja 44*; Moises Henriques 3/22); Australia 150/7 (Aaron Finch 35, D’Arcy Short 34; Y Chahal 3-25, T Natarajan 3-30).