Yuvi Coome Back India Thrill won By Aus

On a day eclipsed by the announcement of Sachin Tendulkar retirement date, an obliteration of no less severity was carried out by Yuvraj Singh at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium. The southpaw smashed a 35-ball 77, including 5 sixes and 8 fours, in his comeback match for India as the hosts chased down Australia’s extraordinary 202 in a thrilling Twenty20 match.

Amid the constant threat of a downpour, all that rained on the ground were monster hits, first by Aaron Finch (89, 52b) and then, just when it appeared that the required rate had spiraled beyond redress, by Yuvraj. It looked all over for India when Virat Kohli (29) was the 4th top-order batsman out, with the score on exactly 100 in the 12th over.

Yuvraj had other ideas. He got going with a flick off Nathan Coulter-Nile and deftly guided Clint McKay to the 3rd-man fence. With the asking rate still in rapid growth, drastic action was the need of the hour. And Yuvraj Singh readily obliged, taking 18 from McKay’s 14th over - including a flicked six that Shane Watson almost caught at long-on - and 20 from the usually tight James Faulkner’s 17th of the innings. 

Yuvraj Singh raced to his 50 in just 25 balls and India was left with 29 to win from the last 3. With the left-hander in such form, that turned out to be a formality, and win was realized with 2 deliveries to spare, for once captain Dhoni relegated to a secondary role with an unbeaten 21-ball 24. Also deserving of an honorable mention are R Vinay Kumar (4-0-26-3) and Ravindra Jadeja (4-0-23-1) who imposed some decorum when Australia were tearing away in their first innings.

The visitors were gruesome from the get-go after Captain Dhoni sent them in. Finch and debutant Nic Maddinson went after the seaming Kumar’s, forcing the Indian captain to call in his trump card R. Ashwin as early as in the third over of the innings. The off-spinner failed miserably, conceding 17 as Finch made room to punish him repeatedly through cover. 

Finch continued to pound Ishant as Australia reached 74/1 at the end of the mandatory Power play. A double jolt was then affected by Vinay Kumar to send back Shane Watson and Captain Bailey, for a 3-ball duck, in the 8th over. 

for in came Maxwell. The million-dollar man took 24 from an R.Ashwin over, sending him out of the attack with figures of 2-0-41-0, leading Dhoni to ring in another change. Virat Kohli revved into action with the ball, but the result was the same as Maxwell is stepping up attained logic-defying proportions, the innings 100 coming up in the 10th over.

Finch, meanwhile, had reeled in a lightning 50 off just 29 balls, and once Jadeja, the pick of the bowlers, had Maxwell caught by Ishant within inches of the long-on boundary, the onus of a big total rested firmly with Finch.

AUS201/7(20)

A Finch -89(52)

N Maddinson -34(16)

Best Bowling

B Kumar-3/35

Vinay Kumar3/26

IND202/4(19.4)

Yuvraj Singh -77(35)

Shikhar Dhawan -32(19)

Player of the match

Yuvraj Singh