Indialegend SunilGavaskardecodedAbhishek Sharma's dismal outing in the T20 World Cup match againstSouth Africa. After scoring three ducks in the group stage, Abhishek could only muster 15 off 12 balls before falling to Marco Jansen. Abhishek was India's top performer before theT20 World Cup, but he has been the most mediocre of all in the marquee event.
Gavaskar pointed out that South Africa plannedAbhishek Sharma'sdismissal brilliant, with Rabada targetting his pads and not allowing him room to free his arm. He added that Sharma is missing the fluency he is known for, and the pressure is getting the better of him.
"The fluency is not there at the moment. In the nets, you know you'll face the next ball even if you get out on the first. But in a match, it's a completely different story. That pressure can almost freeze you, restricting the free movement of the arms when aiming for a big shot. He got a little stuck there, and South Africa bowled very cleverly. They know he likes to make room and play through the off-side, so look at Rabada, he kept targeting the pads relentlessly, even after conceding a six," Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the match.
Meanwhile, it was a collective batting failure for India as they were bowled out for 111 in a chase of 188, and lost the game by 76 runs. The defeat has also put India's semifinal hopes in jeopardy. India will need to beat Zimbabwe and West Indies, and hope that South Africa stay unbeaten. India and South Africa will then qualify from the group with six and four points respectively.
"Batters showed poor shot selection. Look at David Miller and Dewald Brevis; on a pitch where the ball wasn't coming onto the bat easily, they applied themselves and built a good score. However, the Indian batters failed to do the same," Gavaskar added.
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Faham Uddin is a seasoned sports journalist currently working as a Special Correspondent on the sports desk. With over eight years of diverse experien...View More
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