“If I were there, I would have given Abhishek Sharma a break and tried Sanju Samson instead.” That’s what former Indian cricketer and T20 World Cup winner Virender Sehwag opined before the India vs Zimbabwe match in Chennai.
An attacking opener himself, Sehwag felt Abhishek needed a break to break his form rut. He was just one of many former cricketers and cricket enthusiasts who believed resting the southpaw opener was the right call.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir thought otherwise. They brought Sanju Samson into the team as the second opener, but didn’t drop Abhishek. The Indian management believed the 25-year-old would regain his touch sooner rather than later.
Abhishek Sharma roars back into form
He had become the number one T20I batter for a reason. Just 4 bad outings can’t change the fact that Abhishek was still one of the best openers and batters in the world. And he repaid that faith with his maiden fifty in the T20 World Cup.
Abhishek got off the mark with a single, something he hadn’t been able to do in the first 3 innings. A poor third over of the innings by Tinotenda Maposa allowed him to swing hard. And he connected. In a jiffy, Abhishek was 16 (6). He still didn’t look at his best but managed to pick the bones out of the slower balls, which the South African bowlers used well to restrain him, from the Zimbabwean bowlers.
By the end of the powerplay, Abhishek had raced to 33 (13). But Sikandar Raza and Brian Bennett put the brakes on the run rate. In the next 9 balls, he scored just 8 runs. In the 11th over, Abhishek reached his half-century, from 26 balls. It wasn’t his best yet, but certainly one that meant the most for him and India.
Abhishek departed soon after, 55 (30). But it was one of the biggest positives for India before the must-win match against the West Indies on March 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which will decide whether India qualifies for the T20 World Cup semifinals.
Cricket
Sanju Samson nails partnership with Abhishek Sharma but falls to stamp authority in IND vs ZIM match
