‘Ro-hit’ hits Team India’s morale to peak before stepping into the semi-final

By K.R. Nayar
From Gros Islet, St Lucia

Arshdeep Singh’s response to my query during the post-match press conference after the India-Australia match, on how much of a morale booster Rohit Sharma’s breezy knock was before the semifinals summed up India’s 24-run win over Australia in the Super Eight match.

Arshdeep said: “He (Rohit) is a legend, and a big knock was always around the corner. So, we were not surprised the way he played today. It came off really well, and in the coming games, we just hope he does the same for us.”

What everyone witnessed in this match was truly a legend in action. During Sharma’s knock of 92, he recorded the fastest half-century of this World Cup in just 19 balls, beating Aaron Jones and Quinton De Kock, who had scored their half-centuries in 22 balls against Canada and England, respectively.

Sharma also hit eight sixes and seven boundaries during his 41-ball knock. It was the most number of sixes ever by an Indian batter in a T20 World Cup, and not only that, it was the most by any batter in a T20 international against the mighty Australians. He has swelled his tally of sixes to 203 in T20 internationals, making him the only batsman in the world to go past the 200 mark in sixes scored.

 This record as the biggest hitter is not the only one he achieved. During the course of the knock, he also became the all-time highest scorer in Men’s T20 Internationals, racing past Pakistan’s Babar Azam (4145) to the top spot with 4165 runs.

When a legend inspires from the front as a captain, it was not surprising that India recorded an impressive 24-run victory. The aggressiveness with which he hit Australia’s finest pacer Mitchell Starc for 29 runs in the third over, which also happened to be the most expensive over bowled by him in T20 internationals, gave his teammates the confidence to go for the kill.

One could also call this win and his knock an act of revenge against the Aussies for beating them in the ICC 50-over World Cup final in 2023 at Ahmedabad. To do it just seven months after that fateful day and humiliation in front of nearly 100,000 fans must have been Rohit’s motivation to play this knock too.

Moreover, not being deterred by the early loss of his star batsman Virat Kohli for a duck is remarkable. Rohit’s third-over onslaught on Starc stopped Australia from gaining any advantage from Kohli’s dismissal. Fortunately for Rohit, he got the habitually brave batsmen Rishabh Pant, who hit 15 runs, and Suryakumar Yadav, who cracked 31 with unbelievable shots, as partners.

All those who walked in to bat, like Shivam Dube (28) and Hardik Pandya (27 not out), seemed to bat with the mindset that if their captain could thrash the Aussie attack, then they could do it too. The result was a whopping total of 205 for 5 in 20 overs.

Suryakumar Yadav, speaking during the innings break, admitted: “Felt like a dream watching Rohit Sharma bat; he batted beautifully. We had sat together and talked about it before the game, and he (Rohit) showed us the way.”

Australians, known for their aggressiveness and aversion to losing any match, went for the kill. After David Warner got out to Arshdeep, Travis Head, the man who destroyed India’s hopes in the 2023 World Cup final, displayed the fighting spirit among the Aussies.

Travis Head - another brilliant fighting knock 

But then, the never-give-up attitude that has been instilled in his teammates by Rohit came to the surface. When Head and skipper Mitchell Marsh (37) were in full flow, Axar Patel at deep square leg stretched his right hand over his head to hold on to a spectacular Marsh’s pull-sweep shot to complete the catch and give India a crucial breakthrough.

Axar Patel 's match-winning one-handed catch

Glen Maxwell’s threat was short-lived as Kuldeep Yadav bowled him for 20, sending a message to play him with respect. The spirited Arshdeep then removed Tim David and Matthew Wade. Australia’s challenge ended when Head gifted Sharma a catch off a tricky slower delivery from Jasprit Bumrah for 76. It was a brilliant knock from Head off 43 balls with nine boundaries and four sixes.

Axar Patel chipped in, bowling tightly when it was needed, ensuring that India’s trip to Guyana for the semifinals will be a happy one. It was a day when there was a strong breeze, and India literally blew away Australia’s threat.