Jitesh Sharma has been waiting in the wings. And in just 19 deliveries, he smashed 35 runs including three sixes to rescue India from a tough spot in the IND vs AUS 4th T20. With that, he has drawn selectors’ attention with T20 World Cup 2024 only seven months away. His knock will be all the more interesting as he joins the race for wicketkeeper-batters.
Making his first international appearance outside the Asian Games, Jitesh Sharma made a stellar start. Jitesh scored two brilliant sixes in the same over to open his scoresheet. He partnered well with Rinku Singh to take India to about 168 for four wickets. However, things went downhill from them. Sharma fell off soon caught by Travis Head off Ben Dwarshuis.
On Friday, Australia captain Matthew Wade won the toss and chose to owlt first against India. The visitors, who trail the five-match series 2-1, won their previous encounter thus recovering from two defeats.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad had a 50-run opening partnership before Jaiswal was dismissed. Suryakumar and Shreyas Iyer both fell within a few balls of an other. But Rinku Singh looked to spearhead a comeback, scoring 48 runs off 29 balls after Ruturaj Gaikwad fell in the fourth wicket. Despite a stellar start, Sharma was the next to go.
After that, Ben Dwarshius and Jason Behrendorff took two wickets apiece in the 19th and 20th overs, and it was all over for India. At 46 off 29, Rinku fell off the first ball of Behrendorff’s final over, unable to stay till the very finish. After Deepak Chahar fell off the third, that, Ravi Bishnoi was run out off the last ball to hold a target of just 175 for the Aussies.
