After the loss to Sri Lanka, Rohit Sharma felt they needed 10-15 more runs. Coming to the award ceremony, the Indian captain said to the broadcasting channel Star Sports, “The kind of runs we were making, we could have gone a little further. We scored 10-15 runs less.” He added, “What kind of shots to play, what to do, they need to be understood better.”
Later in the press conference, Rohit pointed towards batting. Said, “We didn’t start well. The wicket fell. So we had to build an innings after watching.” In the Asia Cup, India lost two consecutive matches in the Super Four. Rohit, however, said, “This team has played very well since the World Cup. We have only lost two matches in a row. There is nothing to worry about.” However, Indian cricket fans can remind the captain that the team has consistently failed to win World Cups or world-class competitions. Now the hope of reaching the final in the Asia Cup has suffered a blow.
Praise from the captain
Rohit praised the bowlers. Said, “The way Sri Lanka started, we have to say our bowlers did a good job. The spinners came in and bowled very aggressively. In the end, Sri Lanka handled the nerves better.” Should have played three pacers? Rohit replied, “There were big boundaries on this pitch. So, we thought, spinners will do well.” Even if the spin is good, the question is whether it is right to rely more on medium-pacer bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in particular is being questioned.
Rohit reasoned, “Their right-handed batsmen batted longer. I was thinking of bringing in Hooda but the match didn’t go as we thought.” Abesh Khan is not healthy. The question is, why India did not come with four pacers? Rohit replied, “We could have brought four. But we wanted to have a look at three pacers as well. We have to answer all the questions before the World Cup.” He added, “Since Hardik’s return, we have played with three pacers. Hardik has worked as the fourth pacer. But we have to look at other options as well.”
Praising Arshdeep, who was caught in a duel with Pak, he said, “The way he came back with courage and bowled well, you have to give him credit.” Kushal Mendes (57 off 37) who laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory said, “I am very happy. Rajapaksa and Shanaka probably formed the best pair in the competition. The right-left-arm duo worked for us.”
Sri Lanka won by chasing 170 runs in three consecutive matches. Mendes added, “I worked hard before coming here. The coaches told me to focus on getting small runs along with boundaries. We have been successful by playing our normal game.”
India’s chances of reaching the final
- India Net Run Rate -0.125, Sri Lanka +0.351, Pakistan +0.126, Afghanistan -0.589.
- Afghanistan should win against Pakistan by a huge margin.
- India will have to beat Afghanistan by a huge margin.