Mohali, Sep 21 (IANS): In the first T20I against India at Mohali, Australia pulled a rabbit out of the hat by promoting all-rounder Cameron Green to open the batting alongside captain Aaron Finch.
That move seemed to be on the track to be a masterstroke when Green hammered four fours off his first four deliveries off a returning Umesh Yadav in the second over of the chase. From there, Green blasted his way to a sensational 61 off 30 balls, including taking 21 runs on eight balls of facing leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
Green went on to take 'Player of the Match' award as Australia chased down 209 with four balls to spare. Australia wicketkeeping-batting legend Adam Gilchrist was in awe of Green's blazing knock and expressed happiness over the all-rounder developing and maturing at the international level.
"Look out this (year's) summer. The development and maturing of Cam (Cameron) Green before our eyes is just so exciting. You've almost got to suppress your excitement a little bit because you don't want to overshoot it and put pressure on him."
"I think this test summer, the run scoring and the achievements that he's ticking off in the white ball format is only going to help his confidence and his flow of runs in Test cricket," said Gilchrist on SEN Radio after the match ended.
In his 14-match Test career, Green had cracked five fifties and taken 16 wickets as well. He had also scored a match-winning 89 not out in an ODI against New Zealand in Cairns as a number seven batter.
"If there's been one slight handbrake in what's been a fantastic launch into Test cricket, it's been (that) Cam can bat long periods of time, but maybe just the fluency of his run scoring can be held up occasionally, but I think this is going to start to teach him about a tempo of an innings. Look out this (upcoming) summer, I think his development is going to continue."
"I wouldn't expect anyone's talking about sliding him up and up the order in Test cricket, but what (facing the new ball in short-form cricket) does for your capabilities batting in mid to lower order situations against second new balls in Test cricket or batting against high-class bowling when there's a collapse (is confidence building)," added Gilchrist.
Gilchrist had words of praise for wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade, who scored a quickfire, unbeaten 45 off just 21 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes, to take Australia home by four wickets. "(Wade) is just so workmanlike, rolls the sleeves up … a quiet achiever who is so important to that team and will be in this coming (Men's T20) World Cup."
Big-hitting Tim David made his much-anticipated Australia debut by hitting 18 off 14 balls, slamming a four and six each. "He is like the good old axe man going out there and just swinging, and chopping threw the line of the ball. It's going to be a challenging balancing up," signed off Gilchrist.
With a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Australia will play the second T20I against India in Nagpur on Friday.