Mayank Yadav Impresses on India Debut, Earns Praise from Basit Ali
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has heaped praise on young Indian pace sensation Mayank Yadav, who made his international debut in the first T20I against Bangladesh on Sunday. Ali expressed hope that Yadav will be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia.
Yadav, who impressed during this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) with Lucknow Super Giants, made an immediate impact on his India debut. In four overs, he took one wicket for 21 runs at an economy rate of 5.20. While he did not reach the 150 kph mark, he consistently hit 140 kph, showcasing his raw pace.
Ali, speaking on his YouTube channel, said, “It was a dream debut for Mayank Yadav. He started off with a maiden and even clocked 149.9 kmph. He has come from an injury, which is why his speeds have not been 157 or 158. Just imagine if he had been given the new ball instead of Hardik Pandya. He instilled fear. If you guys saw the match, batters did not play him on the front foot. I hope that he remains fit and goes to Australia.”
In the match, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. Bangladesh was bundled out for 127 runs in 19.5 overs, with Najmul Hossain Shanto (27) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (35*) being the top scorers. Arshdeep Singh (3/14) was the pick of the bowlers for India, while Varun Chakravarthy (3/31) and Yadav (1/21) also contributed.
During the chase, India lost Abhishek Sharma early, but Sanju Samson (29) and Suryakumar Yadav (29) put on a 40-run stand for the second wicket. Hardik Pandya (31*) and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy (16*) then sealed the win for India with a 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Bangladesh failed to rise with the ball in the second inning and could only pick up two wickets. Mustafizur Rahman and Mehidy were the only wicket-takers for the visitors. Arshdeep was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his fine spell.