New York, Jun 10 (IANS): India skipper Rohit Sharma credited his team's "never-say-die attitude" on the field after defeating Pakistan in a low-scoring T20 World Cup match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night.
Admitting that "140 was a good score to defend," Rohit revealed the team's confidence in winning, attributing it to the quality of their bowling lineup and the team's resilience.
"Yeah, I thought there was enough in the pitch to be honest compared to the last two games that we played here. So hence we thought 140 will be a good score to fight and with the bowling line up we have you feel confident that the guys can do the job," the Indian skipper said after the match
"But again there is a never-say-die attitude in the team. We were only 119 on the board and we wanted you know to make early roads which we didn’t. But then again, halfway through the stage when they were batting, we got everyone together and we said if things can happen to us, it can happen to them as well," he added.
After Rishabh Pant top-scored via 42 off 31, India experienced a mid-innings collapse on a challenging New York pitch and was bowled out for just 119 in 19 overs. Rohit conceded that his side didn't bat well and fell 15-20 runs short in the total, emphasising the significance of every run on a difficult wicket.
"I think we didn't bat well enough. I thought halfway through the stage when we were batting after 10 overs, we were in good position - we were 80 for one and three down and then you expect the guys to stitch the partnership. We didn't put enough partnership there and fell short with the bat - we were 15-20 runs short and we spoke about how every run matters on a pitch like that and on a ground like this. We were looking at 140 but nevertheless, I thought bowlers came and did the job for us," said Rohit.
The 37-year-old further praised his bowlers, particularly pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, as India successfully defended a total of 119 on a New York pitch with unpredictable bounce and extra swing.
After getting bowled out for 119, India clawed their way back thanks to Bumrah’s heroic spell of 3-14. He also got excellent support from Hardik Pandya, who took 2-24. Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel took a wicket each to restrict Pakistan to 113/7 in their pursuit of 120-run target.
"Yeah, look he (Bumrah) is growing from strength to strength. We've seen him over the years now and what he can do with the ball. We all know about it. He is a genius with the ball, we all know that. But again, hats off to the other guys as well. You know, everyone who got the ball in hand, came and made the difference," Rohit said.
He concluded by praising the crowd cheering for the team in New York, "Absolutely there is no doubt about it. The crowd was superb. They never disappoint. Wherever we play in the world, they come out in huge numbers and support us. And I'm sure they will be going back home with a lot of big smiles on their face as well. And like I said, just the start of the tournament, we have a long way to go."
India will next play the co-hosts USA on June 12 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
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