Yadav shines in his first hit as an international cricketer; scores half century and takes two catches as India beat England to level series 2-2
Suryakumar Yadav in full flow against England at Ahmedabad yesterday. Pic/PTI
India levelled the series with England 2-2 after the hosts won the fourth T20I by eight runs here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday.
India posted 185-8, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering 57 off 31 balls (6x4, 3x6) and Shreyas Iyer’s 18-ball 37. Jofra Archer was the pick of the England bowlers with 4-33.
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England batsmen Ben Stokes (46) and Jason Roy (40) threatened to take the game away but the Indian bowlers picked wickets at regular intervals to stay in the contest.
Jofra Archer’s all-round show nearly helped England pull off a stunning run chase. Needing 23 runs off the final over, Archer took pacer Shardul Thakur to cleaners, conceding 14 runs off his first four deliveries. But Chris Jordan’s wicket on the penultimate ball ensured India won by eight runs.
Shreyas Iyer during his 18-ball 37 at Ahmedabad yesterday
It’s been a long wait for Suryakumar but he couldn’t have asked for a better international batting debut that started with a first-ball six but his fine knock came to an end with a dubious umpiring call.
Kishan injured
The flamboyant Mumbai batsman’s inclusion in the XI was a forced decision as Ishan Kishan suffered a groin strain but Suryakumar grabbed the opportunity with both hands and ensured his place in the big league with fearless batting. Suryakumar was in his element from the word go. He spotted Archer’s short-pitched ball on the leg stump very early and moved inside the line before swirling on one leg to pull it over the fine leg boundary to become the first Indian to start his international T20 career with a six.
He hit two more sixes–one over extra cover after stepping out to Adil Rashid and the third one was a classic scoop shot off Sam Curran’s first ball over the wicketkeeper’s head. The next ball, slightly swinging in, and Suryakumar again ramped it but Dawid Malan dived in front to scoop the catch.
Although replays showed that Malan’s fingers were not under the ball, third umpire Virender Sharma found television evidence inconclusive and ruled Suryakumar out on the basis of a soft signal from on-field umpire K Ananthapadmanabhan, who adjudged the batsman out despite being over 70 yards away from Malan.
Suryakumar not only played innovative T20 format shots but also hit copybook cover drives while in total command against the English pace bowlers. He was particularly severe on spinner Rashid, who conceded 14 and 13 runs in two overs when Suryakumar hit three boundaries and a six.
Kohli goes early
In between, however, Rashid bowled a wicket maiden when he cleverly set up Indian skipper Virat Kohli. He bowled three dot balls with leg breaks but on the fourth ball, a frustrated Kohli stepped out, completely failing to read his googly as wicketkeeper Jos Buttler stumped the Indian skipper yards outside the crease.
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