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However, by the end of the game, the skinny leg spinner was grinning from ear to ear, having become the first concussion surrogate ever to win the ‘Man of the Match’ award, getting 3/25 in four overs to play a major role in India’s 11-run win over Australia in Canberra on Friday.
India replaced Ravindra Jadeja, who was struggling with a hamstring injury towards the end of his brilliant unbeaten 44 (23b, 5×4, 1×6), with Chahal coming in as a substitute for concussion at the inning break.
Jadeja felt dizzy after being hit in the helmet by a gorilla Starc. And what impact Chahal had on the game. After their top leaders, Captain Aaron Finch and D’Arcy Short, ran to 54 in seven overs, the Australians looked on track to reach the 162-run goal without much sweat.
However, the leggie appeared in the eighth over, and with his fourth ball, Finch, while trying to hit it from the ground, threw it very far, where Hardik Pandya ran almost 20 yards to make a blind. India got the breakthrough they desperately needed.
Soon, Chahal secured the most sought after gate for visitors. Steve Smith (12) made a sweep and Sanju Samson, as he often does in the IPL, caught a stunner in the middle of the deep wicket, diving acrobatically. Chahal later fired Matthew Wade to finish with three top-order wickets as Australia finished at 150 for seven.
Previously, for the second time in a row, Jadeja, having achieved an undefeated 66 in the last ODI under similar circumstances, rescued India from a difficult situation. After placing India, the Australians appeared to be in control of the game when they had Shikhar Dhawan (1), captain Virat Kohli (9), Manish Pandey (2) and Sanju Samson (23 on 15 balls) out without much in the game. board.
When they also lost to KL Rahul, who fluently scored 40 balls 51 (5×4, 1×6), and Hardik Pandya (16) to be 114/6 in 17 overs, the visitors seemed to be heading nowhere.
However, Jadeja helped India loot 57 in the final four overs to bring the total to 161 for seven. The aggressive left-hander hit three fours and six off Josh Hazlewood for 23rd in the 19th.
But India’s eighth consecutive victory in T20I was not just because of Chahal, Jadeja or the controversy surrounding the substitution. Aside from Rahul with the bat, there were also contributors with the ball.
After a decent ODI debut two days ago, Thangarasu Natarajan enjoyed an excellent T20I debut, taking three of 30 in four overs, while firing his trademark lethal yorkers as he did throughout the IPL.
Tamil Nadu’s left arm pacemaker gave India the crucial ground of Glenn Maxwell (2) before scalping Short and Starc. His arrival has given India a fantastic pacing bowling option, allowing Jasprit Bumrah to rest for this game.
Offie Washington Sundar did what he does best, giving away just 16 runs in his four overs, two of which came on the power play, as India chose to start with him on the ball. Deepak Chahar rocked the ball a bit and only Shami (46 of his four overs) was expensive.
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