NEWS
Follow UsIndian captain Rohit Sharma said his team adjusted to the conditions in Guyana and did extremely well to post an above-par total of 171 against England in the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup on June 27 (Thursday). The defending champions were bowled out for just 103 in 16.4 overs and the Men in Blue emerged victorious by 68 runs.
Asked to bat, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant got out inside six overs but Indian captain Rohit (57 off 39) and Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 39) put on 73 runs off 50 deliveries for the third wicket. Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel then added 50 runs between them in 28 balls and got India to a match-winning total.
“Very satisfying to win this game. We worked really hard as a unit. To win this game like that was a great effort from everyone. We adapted to the conditions really well. It was a challenge and we adapted. We played the conditions really well. If the players play according to the conditions, things fall into place. Very pleasing with how we came through,” said Rohit.
“At one stage, (we were thinking) 140-150, as the game went on, after that partnership, we said another 25 runs. I can set the target in my mind, but I don't want to let anyone know about it, to the batters. They are all instinctive players. I thought 170 was a very good score on this surface.”
Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav then picked up three wickets each in the second innings, propelling India to the grand finale, where they will meet South Africa, who are also unbeaten in this tournament like the Men in Blue. Virat Kohli was once again dismissed early and is having a terrible tournament, but Rohit isn’t too worried about his form.
“They (Axar and Kuldeep) are gun spinners. It's difficult to play some shots, the pressure is on them as well but they were calm and knew what to bowl. He (Kohli) is a quality player. Any player can go through that. We understand his class and his importance. Form is never a problem. The intent is there.”
Talking about the final against South Africa on June 29, Rohit added: “We have been very calm as a team. We understand the occasion (final). Staying composed helps you make good decisions. That'll help us make the game through. You got to play good cricket. That's what we want to do in the final.”
Axar was named Player of the Match. The left-arm spinner said all he did was bowl in the right areas and bowl slow. He dismissed England captain Jos Buttler in the fourth over, giving India a perfect start in the second innings.
“I have bowled in the powerplay in the past, so I had to bowl in the powerplay, that was the plan. The wicket was stopping and keeping low, so tried to bowl in the right areas. The wicket was slow, so I tried to bowl slower in this match, it worked for me. Wouldn't have worked had I bowled quicker, would have been easier for their batters,” said Axar.
Meanwhile, Buttler didn’t shy away from admitting that they were completely outplayed in this contest. “India certainly outplayed us. We let them get 20-25 runs too many. It was a challenging surface that they played well on. They fully deserved this win. Very different conditions (than 2022), credit to India. They played a very good game of cricket.
“With the rain around, didn't expect the conditions to change too much. Don't think it really did. They outbowled us. They had an above-par score. Don't think toss was necessarily the difference between the teams. They've got some fantastic spinners. In hindsight, should have bowled Moeen Ali in that innings with the way spinners were bowling.”
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out — big time. Play Fantasy on Cricket.com NOW! Download the App here.
