T20 World Cup 2024 – Ind vs Pak – Rohit Sharma on Jasprit Bumrah – ‘He’s smart with the ball’

“We didn’t bat enough,” Rohit said on the radio show after the match. “In the middle, we were in good shape, 80 for 3 [81 for 3]. You expect guys to stitch partnerships, but we didn’t put enough partnerships in there.

“I thought we lost 15-20. We talked about how every run is important on a pitch like that. We were aiming for 140, but I thought the bowlers could do it. [do]and do, our duty.”

As for Pakistan, they went from 80 for 3 at the start of the 15th over to 113 for 7 after the 20th over to fail by six.

“We felt a little underpowered,” Bumrah said. “When the sun came out, the wicket got better. So we had to be disciplined about what we were trying to do. I tried to take it easy, the wicket got better, and the swing got less. I tried to hit the seam as much as I could and I just tried to be clear on my plan and focus on my execution.

Rohit spoke of India’s “don’t-say-die” attitude at the New York venue which he felt was “good” compared to that of previous matches. “Since we are only 119 on the board, we wanted to enter early, which we did not do,” he said. “In the middle, I brought everyone together. We said that if things happen, it can happen to them too.”

“We need everyone to show up. Those little contributions make a big difference. Whoever was in possession of the ball wanted to contribute to the team.”

Rohit Sharma

Axar, in particular, bowled well in the 16th over which took just two runs, even the bowling of Imad Wasim, a left-hander, could have worked against him.

“Absolutely! That’s what is needed in a tournament like this,” Rohit said of his bowlers. “We need everyone to show up. Those little contributions make a big difference. The ball carrier wanted to contribute to the team.

“Bumrah is getting stronger and stronger. We’ve seen what he can do over the years, I won’t talk too much about him. We want him to have that kind of mentality until the end of the world. He’s a genius in football, we know that, but we also respect the other guys.”