Surya shines as India off to winning start in T20 series

Skipper's blistering knock helps hosts chase 209 against Australia in opener

- Aditya Chaturvedi

As if the mourning period for the World Cup final loss wasn't short enough, the last thing Indian fans would've wanted in the first T20 International on Thursday was for an Australian opener to steal the show. For the longest time, it seemed the spectators in Visakhapatnam would indeed return heartbroken as Josh Inglis hit his first ton in international cricket. But skipper Suryakumar Yadav led from the front while Rinku Singh showed nerves of steel to help the hosts earn a thrilling last-ball win and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing a daunting total of 209, India stuttered at the start but recovered thanks to half-centuries by Suryakumar and Ishan Kishan. It seemed the contest was done and dusted as India needed just two runs to win off the last four balls. But Australia, somehow, picked wickets off the next three balls and India were left needing a off one. All eyes were on Rinku and he ended up delivering yet again as the ball was sent over long-on for six, although that shot was not needed as Sean Abbott had over-stepped to close out the game there and then. At the start of the chase, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit Stoinis for four and six in the first three balls of the innings but India quickly found themselves in a deeper hole. Two balls later, Ruturaj Gaikwad was run-out for a duck without having faced a single delivery. The vice-captain was left stranded in the middle of the pitch after Jaiswal called him for a second before deciding against running it.