Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised the team on Thursday for their easy 47-run win against Afghanistan. He said the strong performance was due to good planning, which was possible because they knew a lot about the local conditions. India played very well, scoring 181 for 8 and then bowling out Afghanistan for 134, leading to a comfortable 47-run victory. “We’ve played T20s here for the last two years, so we know the conditions well and plan accordingly. We adjusted well and scored 180, which was a great job by the batters. We also had good bowlers who defended the score perfectly,” Rohit explained in the post-match presentation.
“Everyone arrived and completed their tasks, which is very important and we focus on that. The teamwork between SKY and Hardik was crucial at that time, we needed someone to play carefully and they did it.” Jasprit Bumrah was the best bowler, as he did very well and took three wickets in just four overs with only seven runs given.
“We understand Bumrah’s skill and what he can achieve. It’s important for us to use him wisely no matter the situation. He’s ready to take on the responsibility and he’s been doing it for a long time,” said Rohit.
India used three spin bowlers against Afghanistan, but Rohit mentioned they might switch back to using more fast bowlers based on the type of field they get and the team they play against in the next games of the T20 World Cup.
India used three fast bowlers and two spin bowlers in the early rounds, but on Thursday, they added Kuldeep Yadav to the team for their first Super 8 game against Afghanistan, creating a lineup with three spin bowlers.
When asked if India would continue with three spin bowlers, Rohit said they want to stay flexible with their strategy.
“We need to evaluate the conditions, the opposing team, and then decide. We’re ready to adjust if needed. We thought three spin bowlers worked well here, but if the next game favors fast bowlers, we’ll switch to them.” The losing team’s captain, Rashid Khan, mentioned that his team needs to learn how to successfully chase high scores against strong teams.
