T20 WC: Was Team India taken aback by Wankhede pitch?
What's the story
India's vice-captain Axar Patel has admitted that the team was taken aback by the conditions at Wankhede Stadium during their T20 World Cup opener against the USA. The Indian batting line-up crumbled, losing six wickets for just 76 runs in 13 overs. However, a stellar performance from captain Suryakumar Yadav (84 not out) helped India reach a total of 161/9 in their allotted overs.
Match analysis
Mumbai wicket was different, says Patel
Patel said, "Generally Mumbai wickets are flat, but this was different. After two overs we were surprised. So we changed our plan to reach 140-150." He added that the team was surprised by the pitch after two overs and had to adapt their strategy accordingly. The unexpected injury to Ali Khan also hampered USA's bowling attack as he couldn't bowl his remaining overs after a brilliant start.
Learning experience
Importance of understanding pitch conditions
Patel also stressed on the importance of understanding the pitch in cricket. He said, "It's good that this happened in the first match itself," adding that they will be better off for this experience. Mohammad Siraj had also spoken about how the ball was stopping on batsmen at Wankhede Stadium, with opener Ishan Kishan noting it during their innings.
Strategy clarification
Not about changing style, says Patel
Patel clarified that the team didn't change their aggressive style but had to adapt to the conditions. He said, "It's not about changing style. Just that we had to adapt and not hit every ball (for couple of overs there)." This statement underlines India's commitment to their attacking game while also being flexible enough to adjust according to match situations.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
Suryakumar Yadav's 84* made the difference for India, who were 46/4 at one stage. The likes of Ishan Kishan (20), Tilak Varma (25) also played vital knocks as the hosts posted 161/9 while batting first. In response, early wickets forced USA on the backfoot as India claimed a victory by 29 runs.