Suryakumar Yadav spared India’s blushes with a superb unbeaten 84 from 49 balls as the co-hosts beat USA by 29 runs in their opening T20 World Cup match in Mumbai.
India were staring at the possibility of an embarrassing defeat after slumping to 77 for six before Suryakumar, who was dropped on 15, clubbed four sixes and 10 fours to avert the danger and help his side reach 161-9.
The USA lost all their momentum and lost their first three wickets for 13 runs inside four overs in reply.
Milind Kumar (34), Sanjay Krishnamurthi (37) and Shubham Ranjane (37) – three of five India-born players in USA’s side – offered some resistance as they fell short of their target at 132-8.
“Only I can tell how much pressure I was feeling,” player of the match Suryakumar said. “But I had the belief. I knew if I bat till the end, I can make a difference.”
“It was a little different wicket. But we cannot brush everything under the carpet. We need to bat much better.”
Indian fans at the Wankhede Stadium expected sixes and fours to rain down after USA captain Monank Patel elected to field.
Instead, it was a long procession of India’s top-order batters returning to the pavilion after a spectacular meltdown of the world’s top-ranked T20 team.
Opener Abhishek Sharma, currently the world’s No 1 T20 batter, fell for a first-ball duck in perhaps an inkling of what was in store for the home side.
The real nightmare unfolded in the final Powerplay over when Shadley van Schalkwyk claimed three wickets in five deliveries to leave India reeling on 46-4.
Ishan Kishan (20) and Tilak Varma (25) could not convert their starts while Shivam Dube departed with a golden duck against his name in that eventful over from van Schalkwyk.
It could easily have been worse but bowler Ranjane could not hold onto a return catch from Suryakumar, when the batter was on 15.
Wickets kept tumbling at the other end though.
Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel perished trying to swing their way out of trouble.
Suryakumar responded to the crisis with a captain’s knock as he raced to a 36-ball fifty before plundering 21 runs from the final over from Saurabh Netravalkar.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah missed the match due to illness and they also were forced into replacing Harshit Rana, who was ruled out of the tournament barely 24 hours before their opening match with a thigh injury.
Mohammed Siraj (3-29) vindicated his last-minute inclusion as Rana’s replacement with a two-wicket burst, while Arshdeep Singh also tasted success as they reduced the USA to 31-3 in the six Powerplay overs.
Krishnamurthi and Kumar defied India for a while with a 58-run stand but once the partnership ended, India were firmly in charge.
“I thought our bowlers did a good job,” USA captain Patel said. “We dropped catches and that cost us. At one stage, felt we could restrict them for 130.”
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