Rohit says India’s smart batting against Bangladesh will be their template

KINGSTOWN: India have found their batting template for the T20 World Cup, skipper Rohit Sharma said after the team beat Bangladesh in Saturday’s Super Eight contest to maintain their unbeaten record in the tournament and close in on a semi-final spot.

A string of attacking cameos powered India to 196 for five, their highest total in what has been a low-scoring tournament so far, in the Group 1 contest at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.

Bangladesh managed 146-8 in reply and are on the brink of elimination after their second successive defeat in Group 1. “I thought we played really well today, adapted to the conditions,” Rohit said.

“There is the breeze here that you need to take into consideration, so you have got to be smart about that.

“Overall, we were clever with the bat and we used the conditions really well with the ball.” Hardik Pandya smashed an unbeaten fifty but Virat Kohli (37), Rishabh Pant (36), and Shivam Dube (34) also chipped in with breezy cameos. “Only one player got fifty but we still got to 196,” Rohit, who contributed 23, said.

“In T20, you don’t need that many 50s or 100s. You can put pressure on the opposition in other ways. And all our batters tried to do that from the start.

“That’s how we want to play going forward, of course while respecting the conditions too.

“We have a lot of experience in our squad and I back the players to make those decisions.”

Pandya broke the Bangladesh opening stand with the ball and was adjudged player-of-the match. “With Hardik in form, that puts us in very good stead going forward,” Rohit said.

Shakib blasts Bangladesh´s lack of ‘fight’ at T20 WC

Ag AFP

Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hit out at the Tigers´ lack of “fight” after a 50-run rout by India effectively ended their T20 World Cup dreams.

Saturday´s mauling was Bangladesh´s second defeat in the Super Eights after an opening loss to Australia. “We were always thinking that we came to do something good and we will do it,” said former skipper Shakib who was playing in his 128th T20 international. “But if you look at the result or the performance on the ground, actually we couldn´t show any fight in that way. It´s disappointing.”