T20 World Cup: Batters and Shami shine in India’s 6-run win over Australia in warm up

Nitish October 17, 2022

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India beat defending champions Australia in a warm-up game earlier today, with important performances from Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, and Shami.

A warm-up game is primarily intended for players to become adjusted or acclimatized to the playing conditions, and there are no restrictions on the number of players who can be fielded on the pitch. Every member of the squad has the opportunity to bat if they so desire.

Squads.

India.

Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda.

Australia.

Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Josh Inglis (wk), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson.

As it happened.

Australian captain Aaron Finch won the toss and opted to field first.

The Indians got off to a flying start, with captain Rohit playing second fiddle to a possessed Kl Rahul performance. They scored 69 runs in the first six overs, practically at a run rate of 12 runs per over.

The arrival of spin took the wind out of captain Rohit and KL’s sails, as Maxwell and Ashton Agar dismissed the pair in the subsequent overs. The captain didn’t make much, walking back for 15, but KL made 57 in 33 balls, striking at 172.

Suryakumar Yadav struck a match-defining 50 following a quick cluster of wickets, confirming India’s middle order as their strongest area heading into the World Cup. His 33-ball 50 helped India get back into the game.

Dk shone at the end, assisting India to a total of 186. Kane Richardson was the standout bowler, taking four wickets in his four overs.

Australian innings.

Mitch Marsh was Australia’s third new opening partnership this year.

I assume they intend to insert a batter at the top of the order who can turn his arm over and provide an option, but with the inclusion of a pure batter, Steven SMith, whose best position is at three, they have attempted various openers such as Marsh, Green, and so on. Smith may have to sit out once Davey Warner returns.

The Australians got off to a shaky start, with Marsh squandering away his incredible start. Bhuvi had the last laugh after taking him for 12 off his first three deliveries, sending him back after a boundary and a six over square leg.

Finch orchestrated the entire inning by holding one end, while none of the other hitters lasted to the conclusion.

Having runs on the board keeps you in the game, while a sudden lack of boundaries puts the burden back on the Aussies.

Harshal’s courage paid off as he outfoxed a well-set Finch by breaking his stumps with 29 needing from the last three balls.

With hitters at the other end in Inglis and David, what appeared to be an easy win was put to the test when Virat’s mavericks on the field rewrote the script.

Virat, who was well inside the 30-yard circle, blasted the bull’s-eye in the 17th over of the match, sending Tim David back as Australia needed 16 off the penultimate over.

After a few months, Shami bowled his debut over and removed Cummins with a sensational one-handed catch by Virat. Shami ended that over by conceding just four runs and picking up three wickets to seal a thriller.