"I had a chat with Surya bhai. I said I'm gonna take this guy down" - Ishan Kishan opens up on his onslaught against Tanveer Sangha in 1st T20I
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan played a huge hand in the side's last-over win against Australia in the first T20I in Vishakapatnam on Thursday. He scored 58 runs off just 39 deliveries to provide the boost that India required midway through the run chase.
Kishan was slotted in at No. 3 in the batting order, with vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the southpaw had to walk into bat inside the first over itself following Gaikwad's unfortunate run-out.
Kishan was joined by the skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the third over following Jaiswal's dismissal. The duo compiled 112 runs for the third wicket off just 60 deliveries.
Being a left-handed batter, Kishan had an advantage being paired up against Sangha. He made the most of it by hitting three consecutive boundaries to kickstart the spinner's second over. Sangha was at the end of two more consecutive boundaries to begin his third over but responded with Kishan's wicket.
Noting the importance of scoring briskly in the middle overs so that there is no pressure on the batters in the death overs, Kishan said:
"During the World Cup, when I wasn't playing, I asked myself before every practice session 'What is important for me now? What I could do?' I practised a lot in nets. I was co instantly talking to the coaches about the game, how to take the game deep. How to target certain bowlers. Being a lefty against leg-spinner, I know how the wicket was as I had kept for 20 overs."
"When you are chasing 209, you need to target a bowler, who you can hit. The communication was very important in the middle. I had a chat with Surya bhai. 'I'm gonna take this guy (down) wherever he bowls' because we needed the close the gap between runs and balls. You can't leave too many runs for the batters at the back. It won't be easy for them to play the big shots straight away. I had to take my chances and I believed in myself," he added.
While Sangha had the last laugh in his battle against the left-handed batter, the damage was arguably done. The young spinner ended with figures of 2-47 after he took Tilak Varma's wicket in his final over as well.
"We are in the same IPL team so I know how he bats" - Ishan Kishan on his partnership with Suryakumar Yadav
The quickfire fifty comes across as a huge relief for Kishan, who was without a T20I fifty in 16 innings. He had only reached double figures just twice across his last seven innings coming into the series against Australia.
Having the No.1-ranked T20I batter as well as his franchise teammate Suryakumar Yadav at the other was a huge positive. However, it was not all smooth sailing as Kishan was struggling big time at one stage. He was tottering at 19 runs off 21 deliveries before he availed an opportunity to take down Sangha.
The wicketkeeper-batter stated the duo were planning on which bowlers to take on during their partnership.
"A partnership was very important as we had lost two early wickets. I've played with Surya bhai. We are in the same IPL team so I know how he bats. We were constantly communicating about which bowler to target or how we are going to rotate the strike. The way we executed our plans in the middle... That was the time when I thought we are in the game," he said.
Team India secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match series courtesy of the two-wicket win in Vishakapatnam. The two sides will lock horns again in the second T20I, scheduled in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.