Melbourne [Australia]: Following his side’s 71-run victory over Zimbabwe in their final ICC T20 World Cup Super 12 stage match, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said that it will be important to adjust to conditions as quickly as possible ahead of their semifinal clash against England at Adelaide on Thursday.
Suryakumar Yadav played yet another breathtaking knock of an unbeaten 61 from 25 balls followed by superb bowling from the bowlers helped India bundle out Zimbabwe for 115 to clinch a 71-run win in their final Group 2, Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Melbourne on Sunday. “It was a good all-round performance, something that we were looking for. Before the game, we were qualified but it was important to come out and play the way we wanted to play. (On SKY) What he is doing for the team is remarkable. Playing and taking pressure off batsmen as well – it is quite important from the team’s perspective. We know his ability and it allows the other guys to take some time as well. The confidence he shows when he bats, the dug-out can be at ease. He’s shown a lot of composure. This is something that we expect from him and he’s gone from strength to strength,” said Rohit in a post-match presentation.
“(On the semifinal vs England) The key for us will be to adjust to the conditions as quickly as possible. We have played a game there recently but England will be a good challenge for us. They have been playing some good cricket. Two teams going at each other, it will be a great contest. We do not want to forget what has got us here, we just need to keep sticking to that and understand what each individual needs to do. It is going to be a high-pressure game. We need to play well. If we do play well there, we have a good game ahead as well. You need to adjust quickly and plan accordingly.”
“They (fans) have been brilliant, coming and watching us. Almost everywhere we have gone, we have got full house. We expect nothing less in the semifinal. Hats off to them, on behalf of the team I want to thank them,” he concluded.
The fifties from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav powered India to a competitive 186/5 in their 20 overs in their final Group 2, Super 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Melbourne on Sunday.
Coming to India’s match against Zimbabwe, Men in Blue posted 186/5 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first. KL Rahul (51) and Virat Kohli (26) put a 60 run stand for the second wicket, but Sean Williams (2/9) squeezed some momentum out of their innings. However, Suryakumar Yadav (61*) made sure things finished well for Men in Blue.
Sean Williams (2/9) was the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe. Raza, Muzarbani and Ngarava took a wicket each.
Chasing 187, Zimbabwe never really looked like a threat. Except for a 60-run stand for the sixth wicket between Raza (34) and Ryan Burl (35), Indian bowlers had all the control. Zimbabwe was bundled out for 115 runs in 17.2 overs and lost the match by 71 runs.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (3/22) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Pacers Mohammad Shami and Hardik Pandya got two wickets each. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel got one wicket each.
Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged as ‘Man of the Match’ for his fine half-century.
Brief Scores: India 186/5: (Suryakumar Yadav 61*, KL Rahul 51, Sean Williams 2/9) vs Zimbabwe 115 (Ryan Burl 35, Sikandar Raza 34; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-22). (ANI)