World T20 2021 | Rohit Sharma, spinners thrash Australia to mark superb form, perfect preparation

Showing signs of their might and form going into the main draw of the T20 World Cup, India decimated Australia as they chased down a middling target of 153 runs losing just one wicket and with 13 balls remaining.

The openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma who are all set to open the innings in the main event started on a confident note but only Rahul found his best touch from the word go. He was severe on deliveries pitched in his half while Rohit was struggling to time the ball initially.

However, as soon as he got hold of the Australian pace attack, he took the game to the opposition and feated on their poor and indisciplined bowling.

Rahul was aggressive but equally smart in manoeuvring field and he carried on at par with the required rate before Rohit jumped in with his timing.

Suryakumar Yadav was promoted to the number three position as Virat Kohli limited himself to a bowler in the game and he looked like leaving his bad form in the early part of the UAE leg of the IPL way behind him. He flicked Cummins for a massive six, swept Mitchell Starc for an outrageous four to establish the range of shots and domination he adds to the Indian batting unit.

Rohit asked Hardik Pandya, one of the biggest puzzles of the Indian batting jigsaw to have some go at the Australian bowlers and he finished the job with a trademark six, hit nonchalantly over the bowler’s head.

Both the spinners, Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar were hit for massive sixes, but their bowling overall was not off the mark and the captain Aron Finch would not be fretting over their form.

Starc looked the best pacer from the Australian side among Cummins and Kane Richardson and he found swing with the new ball, although for just some deliveries. He was up there with the pace as well and Australia would be pleased with his rhythm going forward in the tournament.

For India, the decorated spin twins of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were on a roll and broke the backbone of the Australian batting with quick wickets of David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Finch.

However, Steve Smith, who was struggling to get the ball off the square in the IPL was back to near his best and combined with an in-form Glenn Maxwell to steer them out of trouble and towards a respectable total.

Marcus Stoinis came lower down the order and put finish tough with a 25-ball 41 to propel Australia past the 150-run mark.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was not quite at his best but was better than his last appearance in the tournament and it would be a tough ask for the team management to pick one among him and Mohammed Shami as the second pacer.

Varun Chakaravarthy was explored as a death-bowling option and the move did not work well at all, although the failure is unlikely to change a lot of ideas and imagination of the team management. India must have pencilled him as the second certain spinner apart from Jadeja, and the runs against Australia would be overlooked for the variety and mystery he brings to the table for the bowling attack.

India will be the happier side to walk out of the game with them being able to fulfil and try as many options they would have liked to try while Australia might well be worried over Warner’s form and Cummins’ rhythm.