In order to meet the Australian challenge, Abhishek Sharma trained “mentally and technically” for months. The young opener won “player of the series” in India’s tough 2-1 victory in Australia.
The 24-year-old claimed he had long anticipated pushing himself on the bouncy Australian grounds and against top-tier pace attack after making an impression with his aggressive batting at the top.
Despite two games being cancelled due to rain, the 25-year-old scored 163 runs at a strike rate of 161.39, making him the top run scorer in the five-match T20I series.
“I have been waiting for this tournament. When I got to know we’re going to Australia for the T20Is, I was very excited,” Abhishek said after India sealed the rain-affected series 2-1 on Saturday.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen that Australia is very batting-friendly, and I wanted to prepare myself for these kinds of bowlers and conditions.”
The left-hander claimed that confronting elite fast bowlers and modifying his style of play for Australian conditions were the main goals of his training.
“If you want to play good cricket and do well for your team, you have to face world-class bowlers. I was practicing for these kinds of bowlers because that’s how you improve as a player,” he responded when asked if Josh Hazlewood’s absence in the previous three Twenty20 Internationals made things a little easier for the Indian players.
When asked about his extremely aggressive style, Abhishek gave appreciation to the Indian team management for allowing him to play his natural game.
“The captain and coach have given me the clarity and confidence to just go and express myself. As a batter, when you are scoring 20s and 30s, you know you can go longer, but the clarity to set the momentum for the team has really helped me,” he said.
The young player from Punjab claimed that the series had made him more determined to fight for a spot in the T20 World Cup the following year.
“It will be a dream come true if I get to play the World Cup. As a kid, I always dreamed of winning it for India. I will make sure I’m ready for that tournament,” he said.
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh acknowledged India’s superiority during critical periods but hailed the depth and flexibility of his own team.
“I can’t remember the last time we played and had so many rain interruptions. All in all, it was a great series. India obviously won the games when it mattered — congratulations to them,” Marsh said.
In preparation for the T20 World Cup the following year, the Australian captain claimed that the tour enabled his team to test its bench strength and combinations.
“There’s a lot of learnings to take forward. The adaptability and flexibility in our group and the squad we’re trying to build in a World Cup year has been amazing. Guys have come in, done really well, played their roles — that’s all we can ask for,” he added.
Marsh expressed confidence in Australia’s overall balance ahead of the T20 World Cup and the Ashes series. When asked if he or Pat Cummins would be the World Cup captain, Marsh smiled and said, “Good question… I think I’ll be there.”
India captain Suryakumar Yadav was all praise for his team, particularly the bowling resources.
“The way everyone chipped in and the way we came back from 0-1 down, credit to all the boys. It was a good series with bat, ball and in the field as well. Both fast bowlers and spinners know their job very well.
“Bumrah-Arshdeep is a lethal combination. And then Axar, Varun coming in doing what they do best. And Washi (Sundar) coming in handy in the last game. They’ve played a lot of T20 cricket now, they bring a lot to the table and are backing themselves.”
He added that India will be well-prepared for the T20 World Cup at home next year thanks to the upcoming tough series.
“Good headache to have – lots of players have been doing really well. Playing three strong teams – Australia, SA and NZ – going to be a great buildup before the World Cup.”
Playing at home in the World Cup would be difficult but thrilling, according to Suryakumar.
“I saw recently what happened with the women’s team winning the World Cup in India, unbelievable support (from the crowd). Going to be a good challenge, exciting tournament, but it’s still far away. Two more series to go.”
