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Rohit Sharma holds a pivotal role in India’s upcoming clash against Australia, where a victory could eliminate the Australians from the tournament and allow India to avenge their World Cup final loss. As they prepare for their Monday showdown, both teams vie for a spot in the semi-finals.
India’s opportunity to oust Australia hinges significantly on Rohit Sharma’s performance. Currently just shy of 100 runs in the tournament, Rohit Sharma aims to confront the Australian fast bowlers head-on.
Historically, left-arm pacers have posed challenges for Rohit Sharma. During the ODI World Cup, he faced setbacks against bowlers like Trent Boult and Dilshan Madushanka. Similarly, in IPL encounters, Boult has proven formidable, notably against Rajasthan Royals.
Leading up to the upcoming match against Australia, Mitchell Starc presents a notable challenge, but according to former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, Rohit Sharma does not exhibit significant vulnerabilities or worries when facing left-arm pacers.
Deep Dasgupta says Dont Think Left-Arm Pacers Are A Problem For Rohit Sharma
“I don’t think left-arm pacers are a problem for Rohit. His problem this tournament has been that he looks to play square of the wicket rather than down the ground. If you see his wickets, he has tried to hit across the line on most occasions. On such slow pitches, you need to hit more in the ‘V’ and if he does that, I don’t think he will face those problems,” Dasgupta said on Star Sports.
Deep Dasgupta emphasized that Afghanistan’s victory over Australia has escalated the significance of this upcoming match for both India and Australia. For Australia, accustomed to thriving under pressure, this match is also crucial. Former Indian cricketers perceive signs of concern for Team India in this scenario.
India faces heightened pressure, especially after their defeat in the ODI World Cup final against Australia just six months ago. The Men in Blue have not secured an ICC title in the past decade, and they have not claimed a T20 World Cup title since the inaugural tournament. In T20I encounters, India has triumphed in 19 out of 31 matches, while Australia has clinched victory in 11.
“Afghanistan’s win has thrown this group wide open. Now if Australia win it could cause massive problems for India as well. So the game is going to be very important for India” Dasgupta added.
Australia suffered a 21-run defeat against Afghanistan in their attempt to chase down a target of 149 runs, marking Afghanistan’s significant first-ever victory over Australia. This outcome has now set up a competitive three-way battle between India, Australia, and Afghanistan to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
If India triumphs and Australia falters, Afghanistan’s path to the semi-finals could become more straightforward, requiring a victory over Bangladesh. On the other hand, a win for Australia would compel Afghanistan to carefully consider their net run rate (NRR) to surpass Australia’s.
Afghanistan’s advantage lies in their final Super 8 match against Bangladesh, where they can precisely calculate the requirements for securing a victory and advancing to the semi-finals.
