Georgetown (Guyana), June 27 (PTI) – India captain Rohit Sharma knew that 171 would be a very good score on a slow and steady surface thanks to the presence of 'fast bowlers' like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in his line-up.
Kuldeep and Axar shared six wickets equally as India beat England by 68 runs to enter their third T20 World Cup final here on Thursday.
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Rohit, who has now led India to their third world final in the last 12 months, expressed hope that Virat Kohli will save his best for the final against South Africa in Barbados on Saturday.
“At one point the score was 145-150, and as the match progressed, after that partnership, we added 25 more runs,” Rohit said at the award ceremony of post-match. but I don't want anyone to know, because of the drummers. They are all instinctive players and I think 170 is a very good result on this surface.
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With Kuldeep and Axar taking 6 for 42 between them in eight overs, Rohit knew victory was still in sight.
“They (Axar and Kuldeep) are good bowlers. It was difficult for them to take a few shots and the pressure was also on them, but they were calm and knew what to do. If both players play according to the conditions, everything will go very well. “I’m very happy with how we came out.”
Victory is what the leader wants to achieve.
“Winning this match was very satisfying. We work hard as a team. Winning this match was a great effort for everyone. We adapted very well to the conditions. It’s a challenge and we’re adapting. We played in very good conditions.
Kohli made just 75 runs in seven innings, but the skipper was least concerned about his first-choice batsman's lack of form.
“He (Kohli) is a quality player. Any player can have this experience. We understand his level and his importance. Performance is not an issue at all. The intention is there. Certainly (we are backing Kohli in the final), Rohit looked confident.
On playing in the ICC final again after seven months, the captain said he just wanted his team to be calm on the big day.
“We are very calm as a team. We understand the (final) event. Staying calm helps you make good decisions. This will help us get through the game.” Playing slowly is good for me: Axar =============
Axar was a menace during the powerplay as he stole three wickets – one each with the first delivery of his first three overs – to bowl England out.
The wicket stopped and stayed low so I tried to bowl in the right area. Since the wicket was slow, I tried to bowl slower in this game and it worked for me. It wouldn't work if I bowled faster. It wouldn't have worked if I bowled faster,” said Axar, who won the Player of the Year award. On the game: “It's easier for their batters.”
Axar knew 171 was enough, after getting advice from top batsmen. “Our strikers told us that the wicket is not easy, so 160 is a good total in our opinion. The partnership (between Rohit and Skye) was excellent, they scored from the boundary every now and then and kept the attack rotating.
India beat us: Jos Butler
England captain Jos Buttler was not shy in admitting that his team was not at their best on the day.
“India clearly outclassed us. We let them win 20-25 runs too much. It was a difficult pitch but they played well. “They deserved this win,” the England captain said after the match.
Having beaten India by 10 wickets in the 2022 semi-final in Adelaide, Boots is well placed in a fast-paced opening match.
“The conditions are very different (from 2022) but that is thanks to India. They played very good cricket. With the rain coming, we didn't expect the conditions to change much. I guess that doesn't really happen. They were ahead – they had shots on goal. us and the score was above average.
Buttler admitted that not including Moeen Ali was a mistake.
“Seeing that, we should have been able to beat Moen in this round the same way Spin played. We are very proud of everyone's efforts. We regrouped and failed when it mattered most.
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