Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma stated that he has consistently focused on ensuring the team has six bowling choices without weakening the batting lineup. This strategy was evident in India’s convincing victory over Australia in the Champions Trophy semifinal. Chasing 265 runs, India achieved a four-wicket win with 11 balls remaining, thanks to Virat Kohli’s score of 84 and valuable contributions from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. The bowlers had earlier restricted Australia to a less than expected total.
During the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma mentioned, “Having six bowling options and batting depth till number 8 is something I’ve really aimed for. This was a key discussion during squad selection. Credit goes to everyone involved in forming this team.”
Mohammed Shami was successful with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 38 runs, while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed two wickets.
Rohit added, “At the halfway point, we felt the score was manageable if we batted well. I believe our batting performance was very controlled and steady. We maintained composure. The pitch seemed better for batting, which has been typical of the surfaces we’ve encountered.”
“Today’s pitch was slightly improved. We are concentrating on playing good cricket and not overthinking the pitch conditions.” Rohit praised Virat Kohli for his crucial innings, noting his consistent performance in run chases over the years.
“He has been doing this for us for many years. We remained calm and needed that significant partnership between Shreyas and Virat. Hardik’s shots towards the end were also crucial.” In the final match, India will compete against the winner of the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand.
India’s victory ensures that the final of the tournament will be hosted here, changing from the original venue of Lahore.
Rohit concluded, “Heading into the final, it’s important for our players to be in good form, which boosts our confidence. We won’t overanalyze things; we’ll address it when the time comes. I also want the team to relax and prepare.”
Australian captain Steve Smith commented that they felt they were about 20 runs short of a truly challenging score.
Smith said, “The bowlers performed well, and the spinners tightened the game, extending it deeper. The pitch was challenging initially, but we adapted well.”
“Batting conditions weren’t easy. We could have added more runs. If we had reached 280-plus, the outcome might have been different. Losing one too many wickets at different stages hurt us,” Smith explained.
