The Indian cricket team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, capped off their T20I series against Australia with a dramatic six-run victory in the final match, sealing the series 4-1. Despite posting a relatively modest total of 160 runs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India’s bowlers displayed exceptional composure to defend the score and claim a nail-biting win.
Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh emerged as the bowling heroes for India, delivering stellar performances in the death overs. Kumar, with his impressive spell of 3 for 32, and Singh, claiming 2 for 40, effectively restricted Australia’s run chase. In the final over, Singh held his nerve under immense pressure, conceding just three runs and securing a crucial victory for India.
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Ben McDermott, with his explosive knock of 54 runs, including five massive sixes, threatened to steal the game away from India. However, his dismissal off Singh’s bowling proved to be a turning point, turning the tide in India’s favor.
Earlier, Shreyas Iyer, under immense pressure after failing in the previous match, stepped up to the occasion with a brilliant half-century. His gritty innings of 53 runs off 37 balls played a pivotal role in propelling India to a competitive total. Axar Patel also showcased his batting prowess, contributing a quick 31 runs towards the end, helping India reach 160.
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Following India’s triumph, Arshdeep Singh’s IPL franchise, Punjab Kings, couldn’t resist taking a playful dig at Matthew Wade, sharing a video of Arshdeep dismissing the Australian batsman. The post, captioned “Not against this left-arm pacer, Matthew Wade,” highlighted Arshdeep’s dominance over Wade, who famously smashed three consecutive sixes off Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi in the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final.
Not against this 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭-𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫, Matthew Wade 😉pic.twitter.com/bggH4rZEdK
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 3, 2023
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed his pride in his team’s performance, commending their ability to perform under pressure. He emphasized the team’s philosophy of playing fearlessly and enjoying their time on the field.
“It was a good series. The way the boys showed their skills was commendable. We wanted to be fearless, we wanted to enjoy when we were in the middle. I told them to do whatever is right and just enjoy their game and they did the same. So very happy with that. At Chinnaswamy, 200+ is easier to chase. 160-175 is a tricky told here. After 10 overs, I told the boys that we have a game on,” Suryakumar stated after the match.
