Batters Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav came as saviours for Team India, as their partnership of 104 runs helped their side chase down the target of 187, in the third and final T20I match against Australia on Sunday, at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Kohli smashed 63 while Suryakumar scored 69 as Team India wrapped up the match with six wickets in hand. After the win, skipper Rohit Sharma praised both the batters for their fabulous performance, which helped his side claim the three-match series 2-1.
“When it comes to Suryakumar, we all know the quality he has. He can play shots all over the ground and that is what makes him special. He has been really consistent with the bat. Whenever he got an opportunity, he has played an impactful innings. Every time, I see him, he has taken his game a notch higher. It is a good sign as a player. Today he was exceptional. We were two down in the powerplay. To come out and play like he played to take the game away from opposition was great,” said Rohit during a post-match press conference.
“Not to forget Virat on the other end. He got a crucial partnership with Suryakumar. It was great for us to get that kind of batsmanship from those two guys. When you chase 180, it is not easy, especially after losing two wickets. But they kept their calm and backed themselves, playing their shots. Good to watch it from outside as well,” he added.
Regarding the pacers, Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have been receiving a lot of flak for leaking many runs, Rohit backed both of them saying that the team believe in their quality.
“I have been talking about how it is difficult for bowlers to come back from an injury. He (Harshal) missed cricket for close to two months. We have not really judged him on basis of his performances in these three games. We know his quality. He has bowled some tough overs for us in the past and for his franchise too. We believe in his quality. It is important to keep showing that faith. I am sure he is working on rectifying his mistakes. He is always working on his skills,” said Rohit.
“Of late, he (Bhuvneshwar) has not delivered as per expectations, but it can happen to anyone. It is not easy to bowl in death overs. We are working on some execution plans, we will give him more options to bowl at death. He will be as good as he was before. He is not short of confidence, it is still there. It is important how you come back after some bad games and we want him to do that as soon as possible,” he added.
Coming to the match, Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli played knocks of 69 and 63 respectively as Team India chased down the target of 187 to win the third T20I by six wickets to clinch the series 2-1.
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Earlier, Tim David and Cameron Green had scored 54 and 52 respectively to help Australia post 186/7 in 20 overs. For India, Axar Patel returned with three wickets.
Team India will next square off against South Africa in a three-match T20I series, beginning Wednesday.
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