Jaiswal, the young sensation of Indian cricket, etched his name in history by becoming the youngest T20I centurion from India. His blistering 100 off just 49 balls featured a range of strokes, including eight fours and seven sixes, and was the cornerstone of India’s imposing total of 202 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Asian Games Day 10
Nepal, however, mounted a spirited challenge but ultimately concluded their innings at 179 for 9, ensuring India’s progression to the semifinals under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Although India boasted a formidable bowling unit, Nepal’s gritty performance, coupled with the shorter boundaries on the field, led to a challenging contest. Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh (2/43) and Avesh Khan (3/32) faced difficulty in containing Nepal’s batters, conceding 75 runs in their combined 8 overs. Notably, Nepal’s batters outshone India by hitting 14 maximums compared to India’s 12 sixes.
Debutant left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (1/25) and IPL star Ravi Bishnoi (3/24) played pivotal roles in controlling the middle overs, rescuing India from what could have been an upset.
The performance of Nepal’s promising talents like Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Deependra Airee, and Sundeep Jora was laudable. Their efforts demonstrated the potential to challenge heavyweight teams consistently, given the right opportunities.
In matches against stronger teams like Bangladesh or Pakistan, India’s bowlers, who occasionally bowled too full or too short, may face difficulties due to the ground’s short boundaries.
However, the spotlight belonged to the 21-year-old Jaiswal, who thrilled the crowd with his remarkable innings. His repertoire included slog sweeps off pacers and spinners, pick-up pulls behind square, square cuts, heaves over cow corner, and deftly executed lap shots over the keeper’s head. These strokes culminated in his reaching the century mark, accompanied by a roar of approval from the fans.
Rinku Singh also played a crucial role as the finisher, contributing 37 runs off 15 balls, including an explosive 20-odd runs in the final over, which proved decisive in the end.
(With PTI inputs)
