3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in the 1st T20I vs Australia ft. Suryakumar Yadav & Ravi Bishnoi
In a match that generated considerable interest despite taking place just four days after the 2023 World Cup Final, Team India beat Australia by two wickets in the first T20I at Visakhapatnam on Thursday, November 23.
The match went down to the last ball as the Aussies fought hard after making an imposing 208/3 batting first. Sean Abbott overstepped to hand the Men in Blue the victory, although the result would've been no different even if he hadn't. With the win, India took an early lead in the five-match series.
On that note, here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in the first T20I against Australia.
#5 Star - Rinku Singh
Coming in to bat at the fall of Tilak Varma's wicket, Rinku Singh was a calming presence in the closing stages of the innings.
Rinku manipulated the field expertly to find boundaries on all sides of the wicket, striking four fours to calm the team's nerves even as Suryakumar and Axar Patel fell at the other end.
The cult hero smacked a six off the last ball to secure the win, although it didn't count on the official scorecards as Abbott had overstepped. Nevertheless, Rinku didn't know that, and he was ice-cool under pressure once again. What a finisher!
#4 Flop - Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi's day can be summed up by the fact that he missed out on two chances to dismiss Josh Inglis. The Aussie keeper-batter, who went on to score a century, was dropped by the leg-spinner, who also missed a run-out at the non-striker's end.
Inglis wasn't going to let Bishnoi escape without punishment as he made the most of his two reprieves. The youngster was taken for 54 runs in his four overs as he conceded a whopping six sixes. His last three overs featured plenty of slot balls and drag downs.
Bishnoi did give India their first breakthrough by dismissing Matt Short, but the rest of his day was woeful.
#3 Star - Mukesh Kumar
![Mukesh Kumar [right] was present when the winning runs were hit](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/d7560-17007628691377-1920.jpg)
Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the Indian bowlers in Vizag, going for under 30 runs in his four overs even as carnage ensued all around him.
The fast bowler, who was picked ahead of Avesh Khan for the contest, used yorkers and slower balls to great effect. He hit the blockhole on a regular basis and used his skiddiness to keep the Australian batters in check on a wicket that offered true bounce.
Mukesh maintained an economy rate of 7.25 on a night where his fellow fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna went for 10.25 and 12.5 runs per over respectively. Speaking of...
#2 Flop - Prasidh Krishna
The pitch in Vizag wasn't tailored to Prasidh Krishna's strengths, but he didn't do himself any favors. After failing to adapt throughout his spell, the tall fast bowler ended up with figures of 1/54 in four overs.
Prasidh started off with three short deliveries that were duly dispatched by Short and Steve Smith, and his game didn't get any better thereon. Inglis took a liking to him, and while he tried the odd slower ball, they seemed telegraphed and easy to put away.
Expected to be the leader of the pace attack in the absence of the regulars, Prasidh came a cropper in the first T20I.
#1 Star - Suryakumar Yadav
India's 13th T20I skipper made an impression on his international captaincy debut as he essayed a knock of supreme quality to take his side over the line in a tricky chase.
Suryakumar Yadav came to the crease in the third over, with the score reading 22/2. He never let the required run rate get out of control as he found the boundary at will while also clearing it on a regular basis. The dynamic batter was at his wristy best against both pace and spin.
Suryakumar motored along at a strike rate of 200 for the most part of his innings, and by the time he was dismissed, the game was well and truly in the hosts' control. The T20I format and SKY are a match made in heaven.