Jitesh Sharma played a scintillating knock to propel India to a respectable total of 174 runs in the ongoing fourth T20I against Australia at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The match witnessed India’s batting woes, but Sharma’s aggressive cameo provided a much-needed boost.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, India maintained a healthy run-rate throughout their innings. Sharma, coming in at a crucial juncture, immediately took charge, putting the Australian bowlers under immense pressure. His fearless approach was evident from the outset, as he unleashed a flurry of boundaries and sixes.
A particularly memorable moment occurred in the 15th over when Sharma attempted to smash a high full toss bowled by debutant Chris Green. The ball ricocheted off Green’s body and struck the umpire, KN Ananthapadmanabhan. The official, acknowledging the unintentional hindrance, apologized to Sharma for the disruption.
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Unfazed by the incident, Sharma continued his aggressive batting, eventually finishing with a well-made 35 off 19 balls. His innings, laced with a four and three sixes, played a pivotal role in propelling India past the 150-run mark.
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Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a solid start, scoring a brisk 37 off 28 balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad provided a handy contribution with 32 runs, but their dismissals put India under pressure. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav failed to make significant contributions, leaving the onus on Rinku Singh and Sharma to rescue the innings.
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Singh played a magnificent knock of 46, ably supported by Sharma’s 35, as India managed to post a competitive total of 174 runs. For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis emerged as the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets. Jason Behrendorff and Tanveer Sangha also chipped in with two wickets each.
Despite Sharma’s heroics, India will face a stern challenge in defending their total against a formidable Australian batting lineup. The match is poised for an exciting climax as both teams seek to gain the upper hand in the series.
