Gautam Gambhir can’t keep calm in dugout after Riyan Parag celebrates wicket aggressively, strikes thrice in 5 balls
Riyan Parag celebrated his maiden international wickeet aggressively after picking up his maiden wicket, coach Gautam Gambhir was pumped up in the dugout.
When you have Riyan Parag out in the middle and Gautam Gambhir in the dugout, the chances of getting an Insta-worthy moment are high… very high. The player-coach combo did not disappoint. During the first India vs Sri Lanka T20I in Pallekele on Saturday, that in many ways began a new era in Indian T20 cricket, Parag and Gambhir were at their emotive best.
Some credit must also be given to India’s new T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav. India’s two premier pacers, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, still had two overs each up their sleeves when Surya decided to spring in a surprise by throwing the ball to Riyan Parag when Sri Lanka needed 56 off 24 balls.
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They still had six wickets in hand. The required rate of 14 was tough but certainly not out of reach on a true batting surface. Perhaps that played a part in Surya’s decision. In the eight overs of pace that he had tried before that over, Sri Lanka had scored 81 runs at the cost of just one wicket. Spin was probably the way to go. But Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi were bowled out. Who does he turn to in this pressure situation? Riyan Parag of course.
Bowling only his second over – he had bowled one over for five runs against Zimbabwe earlier this month – in international cricket in his fourth appearance for India, Riyan Parag performed like a seasoned pro. He got three wickets in eight balls to close out the match. But in it was first over that more or less closed the doors on Sri Lanka.
Parag gave away only five runs but more importantly, got the wicket of Kamindu Mendis, who is known for his big-hitting skills. He bowled it slower through the air. The ball gripped and turned past the left-hander’s bat to hit the stumps. Parag was over the moon. He celebrated his maiden T20I wicket with a loud roar. There was another member of the Indian team who was cocker hoop by that wicket – coach Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir, who kept a stone face for the most part of Saturday’s match, was pumped up. He clutched his fists and let out a scream. Was it his idea to use Riyan Parag at the death? He was after all, playing ahead of Shivam Dube and Washinton Sundar, both accomplished all-rounders.
Parag is no mug with the ball, mind you. He has 50 first-class wickets in 29 matches and 94 more in T20s and List A cricket. He is primarily a leg-spinner but doesn’t mind bowling the odd off-break or the seam-up delivery to surprise the batters. And he did surprise Sri Lanka’s lower-middle order, returning with figures of 3/5.
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The celebrations continued for India as wickets kept tumbling. From 140/1, Sri Lanka were all out for 170 in 19.2 overs, losing 9 wickets in just 32 balls. India won the match by 43 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The second match will be played on Sunday at the same venue.
