IND vs AUS 2020: A 'great feeling' to help India win the first T20I, says Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal was the Man of the Match as India beat Australia in the first T20I to take a 1-0 series lead. The leg-break bowler wasn't named in the initial playing XI but replaced Ravindra Jadeja as a concussion substitute for Australia's innings. He led team India to victory, picking up the three crucial wickets of Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, and Matthew Wade.
Yuzvendra Chahal was delighted to get his chance as a substitute. He said that his mistakes in the ODI series helped him get the better of the Aussie batsmen.
"A great feeling, no pressure for me when we were batting then I got to know I was going to play. Ten to 15 minutes before I got to know I would play. I learned from my ODI mistake where I bowled with some flight. In the first innings, it was a bit hard to score against their spinners, and I bowled according to my plans," Yuzvendra Chahal said.
Yuzvendra Chahal's concussion substitution for Ravindra Jadeja proves controversial
There was some controversy around the circumstances in which Yuzvendra Chahal replaced Jadeja. The all-rounder seemed to have suffered a hamstring injury. But as he had been struck on the helmet, India was able to call Chahal up for the second innings as a concussion substitute.
Australia coach Justin Langer was livid about the decision, and was seen arguing with match referee David Boon before the second innings. But Australia captain Aaron Finch refused to blame the controversial decision for his side's defeat.
"Their doctor had ruled Jadeja out with a concussion and you aren't overruling medical advice. We probably leaked a few too many runs at the end and then in the middle phase struggled to hit boundaries," Finch said.
Jadeja was India's best batsman as his late blitz helped set a target of 162 for Australia. The home side started well but lost a flurry of wickets in the middle-overs, allowing India to take control of the game and take the series lead.