North Sound (Antigua), June 23
After securing a 50-run win over Bangladesh in their second Super Eight game of 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, India skipper Rohit Sharma said his side’s batting approach of going hard from the word go and putting pressure on the opposition is what matters the most now.
On a fresh pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, India dominated from the word go with immaculate ease, as every batter looked to attack, resulting in four batters having strike-rate above 150, as they posted a commanding 196/5.
Vice-captain Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 27-ball fifty was laced with four fours and three sixes, which was key in India amassing 62 runs off the last five overs. Virat Kohli made a solid 37, while Rishabh Pant smashed an entertaining 36 and Shivam Dube overcame his struggles to hit 34, with Rohit himself making a quick 23.
The attacking strategy worked well as India also posted the highest T20I score at the venue. They also hit 13 sixes – the most number of maximums they have hit in a T20 World Cup game, as Bangladesh struggled to contain them for prolonged periods in the match.
"Look, all eight batters need to play their role, whatever it is. We saw only one guy get a fifty, but we still got 198 (196). In T20s, I don't believe you need to get fifties and hundreds. How you can put pressure on the opposition is what matters."
"All the batters were trying to do that from the word go. That's how we want to play and encourage ourselves to go forward. Yes, you need to understand the conditions as well, but we have a lot of experience in the squad, and we back them to use that experience on the field," said Rohit after the match ended.
For India to secure their qualification for the semi-finals, they simply need to beat Australia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on Monday or avoid a huge defeat to save their net run rate from suffering a big dent.
"I've been talking about that for a long time. It's just about going there and putting it to work knowing what is expected out of us, what we need to do and how we need to play. Considering everything, we played really well."
"We adapted to the conditions. There are factors (like the wind) you need to take into account and be smart on how to choose those options. We were smart with the bat, and with the ball. Overall it was a great effort," added Rohit.
He also spoke about how Pandya’s vintage knock and his 53-run stand with Dube helped India get out of a troubled phase against Bangladesh. "I mentioned in the last game that his partnership with Surya (was crucial against Afghanistan). Him batting well the way he did puts us in a very good state."
"We want to finish off innings really well after the top five-six set the platform to finish the game. Hardik being Hardik, we know what he's capable of. This was a perfect example of what he can do with the bat. He's a very important player for us. If he can keep doing that, we will be in good positions," concluded Rohit.
