Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 : Indian T20 World Cup winning skipper Rohit Sharma spoke on team's clash with arch-rivals Pakistan during the marquee T20I tournament last year, including vital contributions of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, calling his knock of 42 as worth "70 runs" on a tough pitch.
On June 9 last year, India defeated Pakistan by six runs in a thriller at New York's Nassau County Stadium. The win was India's second in the tournament, which saw Men in Blue end their 11-year-long trophy drought by beating South Africa by seven runs in the title clash at Barbados. India was undefeated throughout the tournament.
Speaking on the stadium, which was a makeshift facility with a drop-in pitch coming from Australia, Rohit said that while the stadium looked grand, they had to practice somewhere else as it lacked practice facilities. He also added that how dressing room in tents brought back old memories of him playing as a youngster in Mumbai's Azad Maidan.
"The stadium was beautiful. When we reached the ground for the first time, there was a trophy unveiling ceremony, and that's when I saw the ground for the first time. We were not allowed to train inside the stadium as there was no practice facility. It was somewhere else," said Rohit on JioHotstar during the programme 'Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se".
"We could take the feeling of the ground only when we got to play the match. From first glance, Kaafi grand stadium lag raha tha (The stadium looked pretty grand). It was an open stadium, with good seating arrangements, although it was essentially a makeshift venue. So, the things you expect in a normal venue, you cannot get there. The dressing room was in a tent, which I had experienced as a youngster in Azad Maidan. It brought back those memories," he added.
The skipper added that the stadium was a hard one to "figure out" in terms of a good total, ideal shot-making, scoring areas and bowler's line and lengths, though it was more in favour of bowlers.
"So the first thing we did in our group talks was we completely took the pitch out of the equation. It had become easier for bowlers to adjust there, but not for us. We just wanted to focus on our skill set and winning the game. We just wanted to play our cricket," he added.
During the match, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first, and India was reduced to 2/19 with their openers Rohit and Virat Kohli failing. Then, a vital 39-run partnership between Rishabh Pant (42 in 31 balls, with six fours) and Axar Patel (20 in 18 balls, with two fours and a six) followed. India could make only 119 in their 20 overs.
Speaking on Rishabh's counter-attack, Rohit said that no advice was given to the swashbuckling southpaw, and the batter took down bowlers well.
"Nhi, nhi nhi... kuch advice nahi tha (No, there was no advice for him). We just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh. Do all these kinds of things and try to put the bowlers off, and he did that perfectly. His 42 was more like the 70, considering the conditions. It was a challenging pitch. Our plan was not to do 200 runs. We were looking to get 140, we lost wickets, but he played a crucial knock. It was 15-20 runs short (India's total).
The skipper said that three early wickets could have made the target look as tough as 160, but the team could not get wickets upfront, with Pakistan playing watchfully without risks. At ten overs, with Pakistan 57/1 and their star batter Mohammed Rizwan still on the crease, the match was in their favour. However, quick wickets from Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya reduced Pakistan to 72/3.
With pressure increasing on Pakistan and 40 needed in the final six overs, Rohit introduced Jasprit Bumrah to the attack, who took the crucial wicket of a well-set Rizwan (31) on the very first ball, and from then it was all downhill for Pakistan as Bumrah (3/14), Hardik Pandya (2/24) and Arshdeep Singh (1/31) strangulated Pakistan's batting under pressure, reducing them to 113/7 in their 20 overs.
Speaking on the team's mindset while bowling, Rohit said, "They needed 60 in the final 10 overs. The game was in balance. Two more wickets could have brought them back under pressure. Such was the occasion. We wanted them to chase. That is what happened. They lost quick wickets, and pressure started mounting."
He also spoke about being proactive in using Bumrah's overs effectively, with his wicket-taking abilities and leaking fewer runs being a positive aspect. He was also appreciative of Arshdeep, calling him a "smart bowler".
"You have to be proactive with how to use it (Bumrah's overs). He is a wicket-taking bowler; he is not going for a lot of runs. How you are going to factor all this is important, in a match when the opposition needs run-a-ball. I also had Arshdeep. He is such a smart bowler; he is India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is for a reason. What he has accomplished over the past two years is impressive. This is what I had planned, to use their four overs well. It was not going to be easy for the batters," he added.
Even though a vital match was secured, Rohit said that it was nothing more than a regular win.
"It was an opposition and we want to come up against and play well and win. Do not need to overthink and think that if we win against Pakistan, we win the World Cup. It does not work like that. Agar Pakistan ko hara diya aur World Cup nahin jeeta, toh chalega? Nahi chalega (If we beat Pakistan and do not win the World Cup, will it be okay? It's not okay)," Rohit concluded.