(Source X)
Former India opener Virender Sehwag responded emphatically to a reporter’s inquiry directed at Rohit Sharma regarding ball-tampering allegations raised by Inzamam-ul-Haq.
On the eve of India’s semi-final clash against England, a reporter questioned Rohit Sharma about the claims made by the former Pakistan captain. Rohit, in his characteristic style, dismissed the allegations by stating that such incidents were commonplace across all teams, not specific to India.
“You are playing in such hot sun, the wicket is so dry, the ball reverses automatically. It’s happening for all the teams, not only ours. All the teams are reverse-swinging,” Rohit replied to the reporter.
Virender Sehwag strongly criticized reporters for their line of questioning directed at Rohit Sharma regarding match-fixing allegations. Expressing his displeasure during a Cricbuzz discussion, Sehwag accused the reporters of lacking originality in their queries and merely seeking responses based on someone else’s remarks. He condemned their attempt to stir controversy unnecessarily.
“I have a problem with this incident. If someone has given a statement, then it’s not the duty of the reporters to quote the statement and ask, ‘What’s your opinion’. This is totally wrong on behalf of the reporters. This clearly means that the reporters don’t have their own questions and they are just asking for answers on someone’s quote,” Sehwag said.
Sehwag further remarked that if he were in Rohit Sharma’s position, he would have chosen not to respond to such a question at all.
“Basically, they just want some controversy. If I was there (in Rohit Sharma’s place), I wouldn’t even have answered at all,” the former India batter added.
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq sparked controversy by alleging that the Indian team engaged in ball-tampering during their Super 8 match against Australia. Inzamam’s comments came after observing Arshdeep’s ball reverse-swinging in the 15th over of the match, suggesting that he believed Indian players might have manipulated the ball to achieve this effect.
“If Pakistan bowlers did this, there would have been hue and cry. We know how to reverse it really well. If Arshdeep can reverse it in the 15th, there’s been some serious work done on the ball,” the former Pakistan skipper had said on a local news channel.
India secured a comprehensive victory over Australia in their latest match, maintaining an unbeaten record in the tournament. Opting to bat first, Rohit Sharma played a captain’s innings, smashing 92 runs off just 41 balls, featuring 7 fours and 8 sixes. Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya bolstered the middle and lower order.
In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh continued his impressive form with figures of 3-37 in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Travis Head, while Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist spin yielded 2-24 in a disciplined spell. India sealed the match with a 24-run margin, and Rohit Sharma was named the Player of the Match for his stellar performance.
