Under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, India secured a T20I series win by defeating Australia by 20 runs in Raipur on December 1. Axar Patel's stellar performance, claiming 3 wickets for 16 runs in defence of 174, played a pivotal role in India's victory. Yadav, praising Axar, humorously mentioned intentionally putting him in challenging situations to bring out his best. Despite losing the toss, Yadav highlighted India's control over most aspects of the game.
In the post-match presentation, Yadav commended the character displayed by players, particularly highlighting aggressive innings from Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma, instrumental in setting a competitive score. "Apart from the toss, I think the rest of the things have gone our way tonight. But yeah, the toss didn't go our way. The boys have shown characters and still fight to the end of the game, and winning was brilliant. It was most important for us," Suryakumar Yadav said in the post-match press conference.
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"We spoke in the meeting before the game to go out, and I said to them to express themselves and be fearless," he further added.
India's spinners, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel, starred in restricting Australia. Yadav expressed confidence in putting pressure on Axar, noting his exceptional performance, especially in the powerplay. The strategy involved clear plans to bowl yorkers on the stumps, contributing to India's success.
"I always love to put Axar Patel under pressure. He bowls very well when put under pressure. The way he bowled tonight was unbelievable. The plan was very clear, to bowl yorkers on the stumps, and we'll take it from there. If that doesn't work, we'll see what happens," Yadav said.
Looking ahead to the final T20I in Bengaluru, Yadav hinted at changes in the playing XI for the dead rubber match. While uncertain about the specifics, the winning captain anticipates adjustments to maintain the team's competitive edge.
"There will be changes in Bengaluru, but not sure what's it," signed off the winning captain.
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