Captain Rohit Sharma enjoyed seeing his team’s lower-order add crucial runs to India’s total in the third and final T20I on Sunday (November 21) and feels it’s a template that they can replicate going forward.
Sharma spoke of the same after his team won the series concluding fixture in Kolkata by a stunning margin of 73 runs after posting a gigantic 184/7 batting first.
At one stage in their innings, India looked like finishing with a below-par score around 160-165 despite a flat pitch and excessive dew around. But then pacers Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar came to their side’s rescue and propelled it past the 180-mark. Harshal made 18 off 11 balls, while Chahar struck 21* off 8 deliveries.
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Rohit, who was seen giving Chahar a salute from the dressing room when he smashed New Zealand quick Adam Milne for a six in the final over, was delighted to have watched two of his bowlers adding important runs to their team’s kitty and said it could be a template India adapts going forward.
“I would prefer that going forward (batting deep) .. teams around the world bat deep till No.8, No.9. Harshal, when he plays for Haryana, he opens the batting for them. And then Deepak, we’ve seen what he did in SL. Chahal was looking forward to bat as well,”
Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
With the series already won after victories in Jaipur and Ranchi, India opted to rest KL Rahul and R Ashwin from the side and brought in Ishan Kishan and Yuzvendra Chahal in the side.
Rohit was impressed by the way Kishan batted alongside him in the powerplay, scoring a quickfire 29, and also the way Chahal returned well with the ball to end with figures of 1/26 off his four overs.
On the personal front, the captain received the ‘Player of the Series’ award for his 153 runs from three games, including half-centuries in the last two matches.
