After a tough Twenty20 International match in Melbourne on Friday, young opener Abhishek Sharma acknowledged that the extra bounce and disciplined bowling in Australian conditions took India’s batting squad by surprise.
Abhishek, who was playing in his first international series in Australia, noted that although the Indian batsmen had expected pace and bounce, they were nevertheless taken aback by how well the home bowlers took advantage of the circumstances in the series’ second game.
With a valiant 68-run knock, the left-handed opener emerged as the visitors’ top scorer, but Australia easily won by four wickets.
“The challenge is that a lot of players, including me, are on their first tour here. We knew about the extra bounce and pace, but still the way they bowled, surprised us,” Abhishek said at the post-match press conference.
“They were very disciplined with their line and length, and credit goes to them.”
The team’s aggressive top-order strategy had to be modified as wickets started to fall early, according to the left-hander who started the innings.
“Our plan was to dominate up front, but it was a little unexpected for us. When wickets are falling in front of you, no matter who the batter is, you have to play for the team. The wicket was difficult, it wasn’t easy to hit shots,” he said.
As the duo accumulated 56 runs for the sixth wicket, Abhishek commended his lower-order partner Harshit Rana for remaining composed and flexible under pressure.
“I knew Harshit could bat — he hits sixes off me a lot in the nets. He told me, ‘let’s play a little normal’, and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that’s why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube.”
The 24-year-old attributed his aggressive batting style to the confidence that the team’s management put in him.
“When I play, I try to bring the bowler under pressure. This approach has its ups and downs, but my captain and coach have always supported me,” he said.
“They are clear that I should play my natural game, and when they say that, it gives me confidence.”
He also discussed how he has changed while playing for the national team in the past.
“After the Zimbabwe series, I was over thinking a bit. But when the captain and coach said they wanted me to play freely, it became clear in my mind. When I play my shots and the team wins, I enjoy it more,” he said.
On fast-paced surfaces, Abhishek said he relished the challenge of taking on Australia’s pace attack.
“As a batter, you want to face world-class bowlers. Some of the deliveries even surprised me — I haven’t seen something like that in T20s before. But I was enjoying the challenge,” he said.
The batter from Punjab also took a minute to commend the Indian women’s side for their outstanding victory over Australia on Thursday at the Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai.
“We were all watching their match. The way Jemimah, Harman and Smriti batted with maturity and teamwork was inspiring. They really deserve that trophy,” he said.
