India captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday praised the team for their comfortable 47-run victory over Afghanistan, attributing the clinical and all-round display to better planning made possible by extensive knowledge of local conditions. India put up a superlative show by scoring 181 for 8 and then again dispatched Afghanistan for 134 to register a comfortable 47-run victory. “The last two years we have played T20 here so we understand the conditions and plan accordingly. We adapted well and got 180 which was a great effort from the batsmen. We had class players who defended it perfectly,” he said. Rohit during the post-match presentation.
“Everyone came and did their job, that’s crucial and we focused on it. The partnership of SKY and Hardik was crucial at that time, we needed someone to bat deep and they did that.” Jasprit Bumrah was the standout bowler as he returned with brilliant figures of 4-1-7-3.
“We know Bumrah’s class and what he can do. It is important for us to use him wisely irrespective of the conditions. He is willing to take responsibility and has been doing so for years,” Rohit said.
India used three spinners against Afghanistan but Rohit said they could revert to a high-pace attack depending on the surface on offer and the opposition they face in the upcoming T20 World Cup matches.
India had used three pacers and two spinners in the group stage but Kuldeep Yadav was included in the playing XI on Thursday in their first super 8 match against Afghanistan, making it a three-pronged spin attack.
When asked if India would opt for a three-spinner combination from now on, Rohit insisted that they want to remain flexible as far as the combination is concerned.
“We have to assess the conditions, the opposition and based on that, we are open to making changes if necessary. I felt three spinners were good here, if next time it is seamer-friendly, we will go with the seamers.” Losing captain Rashid Khan said his team should start successfully chasing those results against the top teams.
“That was a surface we thought we could chase 170-180. You just have to go there and how to play. Against bigger teams, we should think we’ll have to chase those scores,” he said.
Rashid was Afghanistan’s best bowler as he took three wickets for 26 runs and this is one of his best international performances since his return after surgery.
“The body feels good. I struggled a bit in the IPL. Now I am hitting the areas consistently. We have enjoyed everywhere we have played. Sometimes we forget our own skills. If the conditions are right, We will try to use them.” ” he said.
Suryakumar Yadav, named Player of the Match for his 28-ball 53, attributed his success to practice and mental clarity.
“I think there’s a lot of hard work, there’s a lot of processes and routines involved. I’m clear about what I want to do,” he said.
“I think you just need to know your game plan and play accordingly. I still remember when Hardik came in to bat, I told him let’s bat with the same intention. Let’s keep pressing the pedal and keep pushing, in the end very happy with a score of 180. ” PTI ATK KHS
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