As the ICC T20 World Cup approaches on October 16, India secured a 13-run win over Western Australia in a warm-up clash at the WACA in Perth. Attempting to chase down 159, the hosts fell short, ending at 145/8. Sam Fanning was the highlight for Western Australia with a gritty 59. For India, the bowling was led by Arshdeep Singh, who took three wickets, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who chipped in with two.
With key players Virat Kohli and KL Rahul resting, the team experimented by moving Rishabh Pant up to open. It didn't go as planned; Rohit Sharma was troubled by Jason Behrendorff and was out for 3, while Pant struggled to find his rhythm, scoring a slow 9 off 17 deliveries. Deepak Hooda tried to accelerate at number three, scoring 22 before also falling victim to Behrendorff.
The recovery began with a strong 49-run stand between Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Pandya's brisk 27 helped stabilize the innings after the shaky start. Suryakumar continued his dominant streak, hammering a half-century—hitting 52 off 35 balls with three boundaries and three sixes. Supported by Dinesh Karthik, who stayed not out on 19, India finished their 20 overs with a total of 158/6.
When Western Australia started their chase, Arshdeep and Bhuvneshwar tore through the top order, leaving them reeling at 12/4 within just three overs. Cameron Bancroft offered a glimpse of a comeback with 22 runs, and a 58-run partnership between Fanning and Hamish McKenzie (19) gave the hosts some hope. However, the Indian bowlers kept applying pressure and taking wickets to ensure the win. India's next tune-up games will be against Australia and New Zealand.