3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in 4th T20I vs Australia ft. Deepak Chahar & Shreyas Iyer
After a brief blip in the previous game, Team India recovered well to clinch the fourth T20I against Australia by a 20-run margin in Raipur on Friday, December 1. With the win, the Men in Blue sealed the series.
It was a mixed bag for the Men in Blue, with the pitch offering a fair amount of assistance to all parties involved in its first-ever T20I. While some batters and bowlers flourished, others disappointed.
On that note, here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in the fourth T20I against Australia.
#5 Star - Jitesh Sharma
Entering the playing XI at Ishan Kishan's expense, Jitesh Sharma was given an excellent chance to impress. He did just that, playing a sizzling cameo that took India past a par total.
Jitesh stamped his authority immediately after coming to the crease, striking a couple of big sixes off Chris Green to get his innings going. He didn't take the foot off the pedal, striking at above 180 to give Rinku Singh company.
Jitesh was eventually dismissed for 35 but not before he had done his reputation a world of good.
#4 Flop - Shreyas Iyer
Another player who entered the XI for the fourth T20I, Shreyas Iyer experienced contrasting fortunes. Batting at his favored No. 3 position, the batter failed to deliver in conditions that suited his style of play.
Shreyas nurdled the ball around to start his knock before attempting a big hit off Tanveer Sangha. However, he miscued the shot horribly and was caught at long-on, leaving India at 62-2 at the end of the eighth over.
Shreyas, who is known to be vulnerable against leg-spinners, will want to set that record straight in the coming games.
#3 Star - Axar Patel
Axar Patel's bowling form has been one of India's biggest positives in the series so far, and he came up with his best display of the rubber in the fourth T20I.
Brought on in the fifth over, Axar immediately made an impact by having the dangerous Travis Head caught in the circle. His day got better in his second over, as he castled Aaron Hardie with one that angled in.
Axar capped off his spell with another wicket in his last over, that of Ben McDermott. He was difficult to get away and finished with impressive figures of 3-16 in his four overs.
#2 Flop - Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar was added to the squad ahead of the third T20I as cover for Mukesh Kumar, and Prasidh Krishna's indifferent form meant that he had a chance to impress in Raipur.
However, Chahar was way off the mark, without much swing on offer. He tried his best to search for movement, but that only ended in Head finding the boundary at will to give Australia some early momentum in the powerplay.
Chahar returned to pick up two wickets at the death, but it wasn't an encouraging display from a bowler who has struggled with fitness and form for quite some time.
#1 Star - Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh is turning out to be a seriously consistent performer for the Men in Blue. The left-hander had some additional time at the crease in the fourth T20I, and he made the most of it with some scintillating shots.
Rinku hit four fours and two sixes in his knock, including a superb switch hit and a massive blow into the leg-side stands. He didn't let India lose any momentum despite a few wickets in the middle overs and batted with not only freedom but also a great deal of awareness.