Josh Inglis smashed Australia’s joint-fastest century in Twenty20 Internationals before Suryakumar Yadav powered India to a two-wicket victory in a thrilling series opener on Thursday.

Suryakumar, in his first time as captain, confidently scored 80 runs as the home team successfully pursued a target of 208 in Visakhapatnam. This victory provided some satisfaction after their loss to Australia in the 50-overs World Cup final on Sunday.

Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav had a partnership of 112 runs, but India’s momentum was lost when they both left the field. The match came down to the last ball, where Rinku Singh led his team to victory.

“Kishan credited [Suryakumar] for his impressive gameplay, noting his ability to take on the bowlers.”

“The communication was excellent. I am truly pleased because the team is young. We may make errors, but I have faith that we will bounce back as a cohesive bowling unit.”

Australia had accumulated a remarkable score while batting first, with Inglis smashing 11 boundaries and eight maximums in his 110 runs off 50 deliveries.

The 28-year-old achieved a century in 47 balls, equaling the Australian record held by Aaron Finch.

Inglis was ably supported by Steve Smith (52), another of the seven players from Australia’s World Cup-winning squad to remain in India for the T20 series, in a 130-run second-wicket partnership.

The second game of the five-match series will take place in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.

Source: theguardian.com