What happened the last time India played a T20I at the Greenfield International Stadium in Trivandrum?
After the first T20I in Vizag, the caravan now moves to Trivandrum for the second T20I between India and Australia. The upcoming game is scheduled to be played at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday, November 26.
Team India have played three T20 internationals in Thiruvananthapuram, winning two and losing one.
Situated in Kerala, the pitch at the Greenfield International Stadium might not produce a run-fest. The bounce off the deck won't be much, meaning batters might find it hard to play their shots freely. As we have witnessed in other games at the Greenfield Stadium, bowlers might have their say, particularly in the initial overs.
The last time India played a T20I in Trivandrum was in September 2022. The Greenfield International Stadium hosted the first of a three-match T20I series against South Africa, which the hosts won 2-1.
After winning the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma asked South Africa to bat first. The Indian bowlers completely backed Rohit's decision with a superlative performance.
The duo of Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh wreaked havoc with the new ball and reduced the Proteas to 9/5 in just 2.3 overs. As many as four South African batters got out on ducks, as Chahar and Arshdeep shared five wickets between them.
Harshal Patel (2/26) and Axar Patel (1/16) also picked up wickets, as India restricted the opposition to an ordinary score of 106/8 in 20 overs.
In reply, India lost Rohit Sharma (0) and Virat Kohli (3) within three overs. KL Rahul, meanwhile, took his time to settle the nerves in the Indian camp. Suryakumar Yadav then came and did what only he could do. It seemed like he was batting on a different track altogether and smashed a 33-ball 50*.
Yadav's counter-attacking cricket allowed Rahul (51*) to stitch together his innings in peace. Their partnership of 93 helped the hosts emerge victorious with 20 deliveries to spare.
"It’s not about defeating Australia. We are just taking it one game at a time," Tilak Verma ahead of 2nd T20I
![Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma vs Australia [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/ac674-17009876186411-1920.jpg?w=500)
Ahead of the second T20I in Thiruvananthapuram, Tilak Varma addressed reporters. The youngster talked about that the Indian side are taking one game at a time instead of pondering over the ODI World Cup 2023 final defeat.
“It’s not about defeating Australia. We are just taking it one game at a time. We had one bad day and we lost. Otherwise, we were fantastic in the World Cup,” he said.
After enjoying a 10-game winning streak in the ODI World Cup 2023, Team India were favorites to lift the title. However, a determined Australian unit upstaged the hosts and won the summit clash by six wickets to clinch their sixth World Cup silverware.
Four days later, the two teams began their five-match T20I series, where India won the opening T20I in Vishakhapatnam by two wickets on November 23.