Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja claimed that Team India was never in the game when Australia was chasing 209 for victory in the first T20I of the three-match, saying things went wrong throughout the second innings in Mohali on Tuesday (Sept 20).
Jadeja further said that he felt for Indian skipper Rohit Sharma as he did everything right, but Australia had an answer for it while highlighting the hosts’ poor bowling in their 4-wicket defeat in the first T20I match on Tuesday (September 20) in Mohali.
Notably, Akshar Patel (3/17) was the only Indian bowler who troubled the Australians, while the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel conceded 52 and 49 runs, respectively and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal conceded 42 runs in his 3.2 overs against Australia.
Ajay Jadeja said on Cricbuzz: “I am trying to think of a situation where India had a chance, except for when Axar Patel was bowling. And he also didn't bowl at a stretch. Except for those overs, there was no problem that Australia had. They didn't even have to take any chances.”
He continued, “India carried on with the plans that they had when they took those wickets and it just didn't work. It's really difficult to figure out where did we go wrong because, throughout that innings, we went wrong. There is no one stage I can pick and say something could have been done differently.”
Jadeja signed off by saying, “At the start maybe I would have pointed out bowling Axar (as the problem) because the ball was seaming but he ended up with the best figures. He looked like he was playing a different game to the others. Chahal has had a few games where things haven't gone his way. I feel for Rohit Sharma, everything he did was right but Australia had an answer for everything.”
The second T20I will be played in Nagpur on Friday, Sept 23.
