Shruti Suman
After dismissing Sri Lanka for just 50 runs on Sunday, Indian captain Rohit Sharma couldn’t contain his excitement about the performance of his fast bowlers. He emphasized the importance of the variety they bring to the team. Mohammed Siraj, the pacer, delivered a remarkable spell, taking six wickets for 21 runs, setting the stage for India’s dominant 10-wicket victory in the Asia Cup final. Rohit expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I find immense joy when I witness fast bowlers performing like this. Every captain takes great pride in having quality fast bowlers at their disposal, and I’m no exception. We have an outstanding group of fast bowlers.”
Rohit went on to praise the diversity in their skills and variations, noting, “Each of them possesses unique abilities – one can bowl with speed, one can swing the ball, and one can generate good bounce. When you have all these attributes in one team, it’s a great feeling,” he added.
Rohit revealed that Siraj, driven by adrenaline after an unbroken seven-over spell that resulted in six wickets, had to be restrained from continuing to bowl by the team trainer. “It was a delight to watch from the slip cordon how Siraj bowled. He managed to make the ball move more than the other bowlers. We were fully behind him during that spell,” the captain remarked.
“He bowled seven overs in that spell, and I received a message from the trainer that we needed to stop him. He was quite eager to keep bowling,” Rohit added with a chuckle.
However, Rohit had no intentions of giving Siraj another over, stating, “He bowled seven overs, which is quite a lot. Siraj had been in a similar situation against Sri Lanka in Trivandrum, where he had bowled around 8-9 overs on the trot.”
Rohit also showered praise on the left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who was later named the ‘Player of the Tournament.’ He said, “Kuldeep has performed exceptionally well under pressure. His bowling was crucial in our victory against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match. His confidence has been steadily rising over the past two years, and he has the ability to rescue the team from any situation.”
Rohit, a native of Mumbai, believed that winning the Asia Cup came at the perfect time for the team, providing valuable lessons as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup next month. He highlighted the team’s ability to perform under pressure throughout the tournament and praised their fielding, particularly slip fielding, while acknowledging that they might have occasional off days but emphasized the importance of bouncing back strongly.
NI Bureau
Prateeksha Thakur
