India’s Arshdeep Singh delivered a masterclass performance upon his return to the playing eleven, effectively silencing critics and reinforcing his reputation as a crucial match-winner in T20 cricket. Having been benched for the initial two matches, Arshdeep stepped back onto the field with the new ball and immediately made his presence felt. He claimed two significant wickets within his first two overs, dismissing key players like Travis Head for a mere six runs and Josh Inglis shortly after for just one. Both batsmen succumbed to Arshdeep’s exceptional swing and astute variations in length, showcasing his potent bowling prowess.
The decision to exclude Arshdeep in favor of Harshit Rana in the preceding matches, a move aimed at bolstering batting depth down to number eight, had drawn considerable backlash from fans and former players alike. Many questioned the wisdom of sidelining India’s most consistent T20I wicket-taker for what appeared to be a marginal gain in batting. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management faced increasing scrutiny over this selection choice. However, Arshdeep’s impactful return with the ball has unequivocally rekindled the debate: can you truly afford to drop your top wicket-taker?
A featured video from a press conference, titled “Abhishek Sharma press conference: On tough Australian conditions, Harshit Rana’s fight,” also provided insight into team discussions and player performances.
Despite the prevailing sentiment among experts that this pitch was conducive for a 200-run total, India will undoubtedly be pleased with their disciplined bowling effort, restricting Australia to a respectable 186 for 6. The Australian innings saw impressive contributions from Tim David and Marcus Stoinis, who were the standout performers, scoring 74 and 64 runs respectively.
Australia experienced a brief batting collapse when Mitchell Marsh and Matt Owen were dismissed on consecutive deliveries by Varun Chakravarthy. However, Stoinis, alongside Matthew Short, intelligently rebuilt the innings. Arshdeep capped off his stellar performance by returning in the final over to claim Stoinis’s wicket, concluding his spell with impressive figures of 3 for 35. While Varun and Jasprit Bumrah maintained tight lines, Dube proved a bit expensive but managed to secure the crucial dismissal of David.
With key Australian bowler Hazlewood absent from their attack, India will be confident in their ability to successfully chase down the target of 187 runs.