'ROHIT SHARMA IS A WORLD-CLASS PLAYER': AUSTRALIA'S JOSH HAZLEWOOD LAUDS INDIAN SKIPPER AFTER 24-RUN DEFEAT AT T20 WORLD CUP
NEW DELHI: India triumphed over Australia by 24 runs at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in a high-stakes Super 8s match of the T20 World Cup 2024. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood heaped praise on India's skipper Rohit Sharma, who played a stellar innings that significantly contributed to India's victory.
Sharma showcased his exceptional batting ability, scoring 92 runs off just 41 balls at an impressive strike rate of 224.39. His innings included 7 fours and 8 sixes, propelling India to a formidable total of 205-5 in their 20 overs. Sharma's aggressive play kept the Australian bowlers on their toes until he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc in the 12th over, narrowly missing a century.
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At the post-match press conference, Hazlewood acknowledged Rohit's world-class performance. "I've seen Rohit do that a few times now. Yeah, he's a world-class player, so if you're a bit off your game that can happen. It just looked like he obviously targeted that short boundary with the wind there for a while and then we probably reacted and then he hit a few the other side as well. He's a class act and you expect him to do that a couple of times through a tournament," Hazlewood remarked, as quoted by ANI.
Hazlewood also commented on the pitch conditions and the overall match dynamics, suggesting that a 190-par score was expected. "I thought the wicket was a pretty good one. It was probably a 190-par score and yeah, they got the other side of it and we went underneath. I thought the chase was well on target for quite a lot of the time there until Kuldeep and Jasprit, their eight overs, probably proved the difference again as they usually do. We fell apart at the end, but the chase was well on target for a long time," he added.
India's bowlers, particularly Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, played a pivotal role in restricting Australia to 181-7. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel also contributed with key wickets. Despite Travis Head's resilient 76 off 43 balls, Australia couldn't maintain the required run rate.
India's win, highlighted by Rohit's explosive batting and strong bowling performances, has boosted the team's morale and sprinkled a sense of positivity ahead of their semi-final against England on Thursday.