IND vs AUS 2022: 3 Indian players who flopped in the 1st T20I vs Australia

Team India's T20 World Cup preparations suffered another blow as they fell to Australia by four wickets in the T20I series opener in Mohali on Tuesday, September 20.

India managed to post a daunting 208 on the board on the back of contributions from KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. In the second innings, although Axar Patel excelled with a three-wicket haul, the other bowlers completely lost the plot and surrendered the initiative at the death.

Here are three Indian players who failed to deliver in the first T20I against Australia.

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#3 Harshal Patel

Northamptonshire v India - T20 Tour Match

It might be a touch harsh to label Harshal Patel a flop in the first T20I against Australia. He was returning from a long injury layoff and was immediately thrust into unforgiving game scenarios, even delivering a promising six balls to kick off the death overs.

However, the experienced bowler got his plans all wrong in the next over, which went for 22 and turned the tide in Australia's favor. Harshal's plan was to bowl cutters into the wicket, but the Aussie batters found it all too easy to heave them over the leg-side boundary. The deliveries were pitched halfway down, not leaving any opportunity to dip and deceive the opposition.

Harshal's four overs went for 49 as he conceded three fours and four sixes. In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, India needed him to step up, and he couldn't.

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#2 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

England & India Net Sessions

If Harshal was poor, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was terrible. The experienced pacer sent down expensive penultimate overs in the preceding Asia Cup as well, and the same pattern came back to haunt India in the first T20I against Australia.

Bhuvneshwar at least attempted to hit the yorkers this time, but got his lines all wrong and bowled a few wides down the leg-side. After a few narrowly missed yorkers were carted to the off-side fence with some smart placement, the veteran swing bowler changed his plans altogether and started banging deliveries onto the pitch.

Bhuvneshwar conceded 52 runs in four wicketless overs. He even failed to threaten Aaron Finch's front pad, although there was a tinge of swing on offer with the new ball. India need better from a bowler as experienced as Bhuvi.

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#1 Yuzvendra Chahal

England v India - 2nd Royal London Series One Day International

Coming into the game, Yuzvendra Chahal's T20I form was a concern. He did nothing to assuage those worries, leaking 38 runs in three overs in a terrible display of leg-spin bowling. Although he snapped up Tim David's wicket when the game was long gone, his figures ended up looking worse for the wear.

Chahal drifted into Cameron Green's pads very often, and the opener gleefully obliged by smacking him over the midwicket ropes for two sixes and finding other gaps at will. Josh Inglis took him for a couple of boundaries as well, with the leggie completely lacking any kind of penetration.

India need to seriously consider Chahal's position in the playing XI, especially if he's going to be so wayward with his lines and lengths.