Suryakumar Yadav’s first World Cup outing as India’s captain was rapidly turning pear-shaped when the skipper decided to take things into his own hands on Saturday night.

An extraordinary top-order collapse, resulting from disciplined bowling from United States, a tacky surface and injudicious shot-selection, had the hosts reeling at 77 for six on being put in. A packed gathering at the Wankhede Stadium went completely silent, fearing the worst.