Cricket World Cup: Yuvraj Singh urges Indian star to ‘think better’ after terrible start in Chase vs Australia | Cricket News

Yuvraj Singh, who was part of the Indian cricket teams that won the T20 Cricket World Cup in 2007 and the ODI Cricket World Cup in 2011, was unhappy with Shreyas Iyer’s performance at number four.

“The No. 4 batsman has to withstand the pressure!! ShreyasIyer15 needs better thinking as the team tries to rebuild its innings! I still don’t understand why @klrahul doesn’t bat at number 4! After scoring 100 against Pakistan! Spada @imVkohli could cost Australia a lot of time, don’t give up on the king as he may take away the game? Game on!! #IndiaVsAus #WorldCup2023,” wrote Yuvraj Singh on x (Twitter).

Talking about math, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul batted defiantly to lift India from a dangerous three overs by two runs to a six-wicket victory over Australia in the first match of the Cricket World Cup on Sunday.

Chasing a difficult target of 200, India lost three batsmen, none of whom scored, after two overs before Kohli (85) and Rahul (97 not out) scored 165.

Victory was assured with 52 balls to spare.

Spinner Ravindra Jadeja returned figures of 3-28 to help Australia’s 199 in 49.3 overs in the 150th ODI between the two cricketing giants.

The Australian bowlers then came out in full force to crush the Indian top order after left-arm quick Mitchell Starc sent back Ishan Kishan for a duck in the first over.

In the next minute, Josh Hazlewood hit skipper Rohit Sharma lbw twice and then Shreyas Iyer also hit a catch from cover to silence the 32,531 crowd.

Hazlewood almost lost four points when Kohli played a top shot but Mitchell Marsh cleared the skier. Kohli was 12 years old then.

Kohli took full advantage of the respite as the star batsman reached his 67th ODI half-century and raised his bat to acknowledge the loud cheers.

Rahul soon reached his fifty in the 28th over and India reached 106-3 and took control.

Kohli finally fell victim to Hazlewood, caught at mid-wicket, and departed to a standing ovation.

Rahul hit the winning six with Hardik Pandya at the other end.

“I had just taken a shower and was hoping to rest for half an hour after my innings in the field, but I had to come in,” Rahul said of his unexpectedly early arrival at the field.

“Virat said I should play like Test cricket for some time.”

Australia captain Pat Cummins admitted his team was “50 runs short”.

“Facing the spinners was difficult and it was the kind of wicket you had to fall into.”

The five-time champions Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, but hesitated.

Jadeja stood out with his 10 overs of left-arm spin. Fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each.

Australia lost an early wicket before veteran batsmen David Warner (41) and Steve Smith (46) replied in a partnership of 69.

Kohli struck early with a diving catch and sent Marsh back for a six-ball duck from Bumrah.

Left-handed Warner reached 1,000 runs in the World Cup, surpassing the Indian who broke the previous best mark of the great Sachin Tendulkar. Warner needed 19 runs to Tendulkar’s 20.

Kuldeep, left-arm wrist-spinner, broke the stand to send back Warner, caught and bowled.

Jadeja bowled Smith, denying the former captain his fifty, and then struck twice in the next over, including wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey, who disrupted his opponent’s batting.

Australia collapsed from 110-2 to 140-7 before Cummins hit his first six of the match, but he was reduced to 15.

Number nine Mitchell Starc hit 28 to add some respectability to the total.