Captain Rohit Sharma said here on Tuesday that to him, having six bowling options has always mattered, but never at the cost of batting depth. This was on display during the team’s comfortable win over Australia in the Champions Trophy. Set 265, India chased it down with 11 balls spare as Virat Kohli scored 84, with Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul providing valuable inputs in what turned out to be a four-wicket chase after bowlers had restricted the Australians to a modest total in the first semifinal. “That is something I really wanted, six bowling options and then the batting till No. 8 as well. This is something we discussed while making the squad. Credit goes to everyone who were involved in making the team,” Rohit said at the presentation ceremony.
Mohammed Shami (3/38) took three wickets while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two each.
“Halfway through we felt that a good score was a reasonable one, and we have to bat really really well. I thought we were in control with the bat. We stayed very calm and composed. It was a better surface, which has been the case of the surfaces.
“Today, it was a little better. We just want to play good cricket and not read too much into what the pitch is doing.” Untold praises for his longtime teammate Kohli for steering another successful chase could be heard from Rohit.
“He has done that for us for so many years. We stayed really calm. We wanted that big stand that was built by Shreyas and Virat. And then Hardik’s shots at the end were really important.” In the title clash, India will take on the winner of the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand.
The Indian triumph ensures that the final of the eight-team competition will now be held here instead of Lahore, the original host of the marquee clash.
Rohit said, “When you want to play the final, you want all your guys in form. That is something that gives us a lot of confidence. We will not think too much about it. When the time comes, we will think about it. I also want the guys to relax