Abhishek Sharma had come under the target of critics after being out on zero thrice in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, but on Thursday he made a strong comeback by scoring 55 runs in 30 balls with the help of four fours and four sixes. Fans are also relieved by his return to form, because India’s next match is a knockout match against West Indies and Abhishek will play a very important role in it. After Abhishek was out for consecutive zeros, a video of former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamir went viral, in which he called Abhishek a ‘slugger’. Aamir said that the young batsman lacks defensive technique in his game and he tries to play big shots on every ball. Now after Abhishek’s half-century against Zimbabwe, Ravichandran Ashwin has given a befitting reply to Aamir.
Ashwin’s counterattack
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin responded to Aamir’s comment on his YouTube channel. He said, ‘You can say anything about his game, but he is not a slugger. His bat swing in the match against Zimbabwe is one of the best. We all know that Yuvraj Singh is his mentor. Perhaps his bat swing is even better than Yuvraj. Ashwin further added, ‘Whenever Abhishek hits the ball, it goes very far. People consider him a slugger, but his only mistake has been that he wants to show intent on every ball. Abhishek’s half-century played an important role in Team India’s 72-run victory. Along with aggression, patience was also seen in this innings.
Gavaskar was also impressed
Praising Abhishek’s innings, great batsman Sunil Gavaskar said, ‘We know what a good batsman Abhishek Sharma is. He silenced his critics with his innings of 55 runs. He took his time in the beginning, respected the off-spinner and played with composure. He also played a defensive shot in this match, which surprised me because we don’t usually see this.
Changed thinking, changed game
This innings was not limited to just scoring runs, but it was also a message that Abhishek can adapt himself according to the circumstances. Now the question is whether he will be successful in showing the same innings against West Indies also. India and West Indies are at second and third position respectively in the Super-8 group. Both have two points each. When both the teams will come face to face on March 1 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, the winning team will reach the semi-finals, while the journey of the losing team will come to a halt.
