NEW DELHI: Skipper
Rohit Sharma
on Wednesday acknowledged the fact that
Team India
struggled in a below-par chase of 111 despite defeating United States by seven wickets in a
T20 World Cup
Group A game in New York.
With their third win in a row, India qualified for the Super Eight stage riding on a fighting fifty by
Suryakumar Yadav
and
Arshdeep Singh
's four-wicket haul.
The United States faced a challenging start to their innings after being put into bat, with Arshdeep Singh's devastating spell in the first over. The left-arm pacer claimed the wickets of Shayan Jahangir and Andries Gous, leaving the Americans reeling at 2-2. However, a partnership between
Steven Taylor
and Nitish Kumar helped stabilize the innings, enabling the United States to post a respectable total of 110-8 in their allotted overs.
India's chase began on a shaky note, as Saurabh Netravalkar struck early, dismissing the experienced duo of Virat Kohli (o) and Rohit Sharma (3) cheaply. With the team in trouble, Suryakumar (50*) and
Shivam Dube
(31*) took on the responsibility of rebuilding the innings. Yadav's unbeaten half-century, combined with Dube's valuable contribution, ensured that India reached the target comfortably, sealing the victory with 10 balls to spare.
Rohit gave full credit to the team for chasing down the target as it was going to be a tough task.
"We knew it was going to be a tough task, scoring that many. Credit to us for chasing it down. SKY and Dube did well in the end. Lot of the US guys, we've played together. Happy with their progress, saw them in MLC too. They're hard-working guys making a mark. We knew our bowlers had to take the lead as scoring is tough on this pitch," Rohit said after the match.
Rohit, who heaved a big sigh of relief after qualifying for the Super Eight stage, stated that playing in New York pitches wasn't easy at all.
"Arshdeep started off magnificently. We want options with us. As and when we feel like we could use them, we should be and that's what Dube allowed. Being in the Super Eight is a big relief. Playing here wasn't easy, could've been anyone's game. Had to stick till the end and take the game as deep as possible. SKY showed he's got a different game and that's what you expect from experienced players. Partnership with Dube was crucial," Rohit added.
English (US) ·