Well begun, India bowlers need to step up in 2nd T20

The hosts, boosted by the thrilling win in Visakhapatnam, will hope their bowlers deliver collectively versus Aussies today

- Aditya Chaturvedi

More than 400 runs scored and a last-ball finish after a month and a half of the ODI World Cup struggling to provide thrillers consistently, the T20 format delivered immediately upon its return, India edging out Australia by two wickets on Thursday to take the lead in the five-match series.

Now, this isn't to belittle the 50-over game as the World Cup did provide top-notch cricket and was watched by record numbers. But the shortest format is designed to provide tighter contests, and with the T20 World Cup just six months away, the dramatic victory of Suryakumar Yadav and Co in Visakhapatnam is a promising start to the build-up.

It was a crucial result for Surya, who was leading for the first time in international cricket. The 33-year-old had admitted that the World Cup final defeat four days earlier would take time to recover from. That his performances through the tournament weren't noteworthy would have added to the pressure. But returning to his favourite format, he wasted no time in showing why he's the top-ranked batter in T20 International cricket.