Australia Tour India: Indian captain Virat Kohli has expressed his joy at the good performance of the concussion substitute Yuzvendra Chahal for the team after his victory in the first T20I.
Yuzvendra Chahal came in as a substitute for Jadeja’s concussion in the 1st S20I. (AP Photo)
HIGHLIGHT
- Kohli has said how Chahal stepped in as a substitute and acted without pressure
- Chahal was named Man of the Match for his 3/25 in India’s 11-race win
- India has taken a 1-0 lead in the 3-game T20I series against Australia
India started as a favorite in the T20I series, following their third ODI win at the same venue, and met fans’ expectations by winning the opener by 11 runs. Virat Kohli’s India team turned things around in the T20I series with a 1-0 lead in the 3-match contest.
However, the day started with a big discussion about Yuzvendra Chahal’s shocking omission from the original XI. But as fate would have it, Chahal played in the 1st S20I but as a substitute for Ravindra Jadeja’s concussion. India captain Virat Kohli explained that there was no pressure for Chahal to come in as a substitute but that he performed well and is excited about how things turned out for India.
1st T20I: Match report | Featured matches
“There were no plans to have Yuzi in the game. Jaddu took a hit to the side of the head and he was a bit dizzy and still is. Concussion replacements are a weird thing, today it worked for us, maybe another occasion I wouldn’t. I have found a match equally. Yuzi came in and threw really well, there was no pressure on him when he came in, he just had to throw his overs. But Yuzi showed character to squeeze the opponents and the throw offered him enough ” Virat Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
It was Australia’s fourth wicket drop on the last ball of the 15th, thrown by T Natarajan, after which the Indian bowlers ruled the death overs and recorded a convincing victory over the hosts.
“I thought they were off to a great start. They were sailing. We show character to fight. That’s T20 cricket for you. In Australia, you have to play hard and show intensity until the end. He hit wonderfully in the last game. It seems that Natarajan can improve a lot. Chahar also played well. Chahal got us back in the game. Hardik’s capture also changed the rules of the game. “
