Mumbai: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav batting just like he does and Mohammed Siraj’s incisive first spell headlined defending champions India’s scratchy 29-run win against the United States of America despite a stunning top-order collapse in the opening encounter of the T20 World Cup here on Saturday.
A veteran of many a battle here at the Wankhede Stadium, Suryakumar’s 49-ball unbeaten 84 was a blend of a fine rescue act and a defiant counter-attack against a USA attack that proved to be more than mere pushovers.
The Indian captain garnered all his experience of playing at his home ground, reaped rich dividends for being patient but more importantly, disciplined, as plucky USA had India on the mat at 77 for 6 at one stage in the first half.
Amid the chaos, Suryakumar Yadav produced a masterclass under pressure. The Indian captain paced his innings perfectly, finding gaps with trademark innovation while also clearing the ropes when required. He remained unbeaten on 84 off 49 deliveries, striking 10 fours and four sixes, and single-handedly held the innings together.
Late Runs Push India Past 160
Valuable late contributions from Axar Patel (14 off 11) and Arshdeep Singh helped India push the total to a competitive 161 for 9. For the USA, Shadley van Schalkwyk was the standout with the ball, claiming four wickets, while Harmeet Singh chipped in with two scalps.
Indian Pacers Rattle USA Top Order
Defending 162, India struck early through Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, exploiting the movement on offer under lights. The USA top order struggled to cope with the new ball, slipping to 13 for 3 inside four overs.
Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi attempted to steady the chase with a measured partnership, but the required rate continued to climb as India’s spinners applied the squeeze through the middle overs. Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel ensured momentum never swung decisively in the USA’s favour.
Krishnamurthi (37 off 31) and Shubham Ranjane (37 off 22) provided brief hope with a flurry of boundaries, yet timely breakthroughs halted the charge. Siraj returned at the death to deliver a decisive final over, finishing with figures of 3 for 29, as the USA were restricted to 132 for 8.
Arshdeep Singh’s economical spell of 2 for 18 set the tone, while India’s collective bowling effort perfectly complemented Suryakumar Yadav’s brilliance with the bat. The win gives the defending champions a confident start to their home World Cup campaign, while the USA showed flashes of promise despite falling short against elite opposition.
Suryakumar Yadav | India captain: Only I can tell at the position we were in at 77/6, how much pressure we were in. But I had played a lot of cricket here in Azad Maidan. Cross maidaan here in. It was a little different to what is here at Mumbai. When we woke up, there was not a lot of sun. There was not enough sunlight, and I am not blaming the curator. But at the same time we can’t brush everything under the carpet. We could’ve batted a little better. But it’s okay, we will sit around aaram se and we have 5 days. Washi is joining us in Delhi. Bumrah had high fever. The rest is good.
Monank Patel | USA captain: I thought our bowlers did a great job. The way they assessed the conditions and the pitch. Gave us a good momentum and a good start. Here and there we dropped a few catches, that cost us the game. I thought 160 was a good score. We will take this score any day on this pitch. The top three couldn’t perform and I thought the intent was missing. But a lot of learning and a lot of positives from this game. Will help us going forward. The way we handled the pressure, playing in front of a big crowd and against India. Lots of positives. It’s going to help us in the next three games. We will come back stronger.
