India secured a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Australia in the opening T20I of the five-match series at ACA-VDCA Stadium in Vishakapatnam, just four days after their ODI World Cup final loss to Australia. The team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, displayed excellent performance.
Josh Inglis’ impressive 110 off 50 balls created pressure for India, but Mukesh Kumar’s economical bowling, particularly in the final overs, limited the target to 209.
Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav stabilized the innings after early setbacks, with Yadav scoring a notable 42-ball 80. Despite a late stumble, Rinku Singh’s composure ensured India’s victory.
This victory provided relief for Indian fans, easing the disappointment of the World Cup final loss. It’s not the first time India has bounced back strongly in a bilateral series after an ICC knockout defeat. Let’s see three other similar instances.
#1 India secured a victory by nine wickets against Zimbabwe in June 2016
India faced a challenging defeat in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals at home against West Indies despite memorable wins earlier. Despite a brilliant performance by Virat Kohli, West Indies, led by Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell, emerged victorious, shattering India’s hopes of a second WT20 title.
After the disappointment of the 2016 T20 World Cup, India’s first international series was a tour of Zimbabwe in June. In the opening ODI, India dominated as KL Rahul marked his debut with a century.
Zimbabwe struggled to 168, with Bumrah taking four wickets. Despite an early loss, Rahul and Rayudu’s solid partnership secured a comfortable nine-wicket victory for India, with Rahul scoring 100 off 115 balls.
#2 India secured a victory by 65 runs against NZ in November 2022
Following a disappointing defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinals, India swiftly bounced back with a remarkable 65-run victory over New Zealand in the subsequent three-match T20I series.
India, captained by Hardik Pandya without regular players, tried Rishabh Pant as an opener. Suryakumar Yadav’s exceptional unbeaten 111 led India to 191/6 against New Zealand.
Indian bowlers, led by surprise performer Deepak Hooda with figures of 4/10, contained the Kiwi batters as New Zealand was bowled out for 126. This convincing win came just ten days after a disappointing defeat, boosting team morale.
#3 India secured a victory by 4 wickets against WI in August 2019
India faced a painful semi-final loss to New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup, leaving both fans and the team disappointed. The West Indies tour, comprising three T20Is, served as India’s first series after the World Cup, presenting an opportunity for recovery.
The absence of MS Dhoni was a notable difference following the World Cup defeat, but Shikhar Dhawan’s comeback from injury provided a positive boost. Despite the anticipation of an easy victory for India, the first T20I in Florida proved challenging due to the tricky pitch.
India secured a four-wicket victory against the West Indies, scoring 95/9 while bowling and securing a win with contributions from Krunal Pandya and Manish Pandey in their first match after the 2019 World Cup semifinal defeat.
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