Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): Surya Kumar Yadav's belligerent 80 along with power hitting by Rinku Singh at the death powered India to a two-wicket win over Australia in an edge-of-a-seat thriller in the first T20 here on Sunday.
Ishan Kishan (58) too played his part to perfection as India started the bilateral series on a winning note. Pacer Seam Abbot did create a scare but Rinku Singh held his nerves and smashed a six on the final ball as India chased a mammoth 209 with two wickets to spare.
The 112-run stand between Surya and Ishan Kishan for the third wicket proved to be the difference between the two sides after Australia posted a mammoth 208 riding on Josh Inglis' aggressive 110.
Put into bat, A blistering century by wicket-keeper-batter Josh Inglis score (110 off 50 balls) took Australia to a comfortable 208 in the first of the five T20s being played here on Thursday. It was an Inglis show at the ground as he pummelled the Indian attack to submission. Put into bat, Australia lost opener Mathew Short (13 off 11 balls) in the fifth over as spinner Ravi Bishoi (1/54) gave India the first breakthrough.
Then inform Steve Smith, a member of the Australian team that won the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday last at the Motera, and Inglis tore apart the young Indian attack as they forged a 130-run run stand for the second wicket. Inglis was playing his shorts at will, while Steve Smith (52 off 41 balls) happily played second fiddle. While Inglis in his 50-ball knock hammered 11 boundaries and eight towering sixes, Smith's knock was laced with eight fours.
Smith was run out in the 16th over but it was too little and too late. Inglis notched up his first international hundred in the 17th over as he hammered young pacer Arshseep Singh for a boundary. Inglis departed after a well made 110 off just 50 balls in the 18th over after he was caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal off pacer Prasidh Krishna (1/50). It will be an uphill task for skipper Surya Kumar Yadav, who is leading for the first time and his boys. India has rested all the key players for the bilateral series.
