Sipu Jha
Abhishek Sharma acknowledged that India’s batting unit faced unexpected challenges from Australia’s bowling attack during Friday’s T20I match in Melbourne. Despite his top-scoring performance of 68 runs, Australia secured a four-wicket victory.The young opener, playing his first series in Australia, noted that while the team had anticipated the pace and bounce, they were still caught off guard by the Australian bowlers’ execution.“The challenge is that a lot of players, including me, are on their first tour here. We knew about the extra bounce and pace, but still the way they bowled, surprised us. They were very disciplined with their line and length, and credit goes to them,” he told reporters in the post-match press conference.The aggressive batting strategy planned by India’s top order had to be modified as early wickets fell.“Our plan was to dominate up front, but it was a little unexpected for us. When wickets are falling in front of you, no matter who the batter is, you have to play for the team. The wicket was difficult, it wasn’t easy to hit shots,” he added.Abhishek highlighted the effective partnership with Harshit Rana, who contributed to a 56-run stand for the sixth wicket. “I knew Harshit could bat – he hits sixes off me a lot in the nets. He told me, ‘let’s play a little normal’, and that helped. The right-left combination worked well, and that’s why he went up the order ahead of Shivam Dube,” he continued.The 24-year-old credited the team management for supporting his aggressive batting style.“When I play, I try to bring the bowler under pressure. This approach has its ups and downs, but my captain and coach have always supported me. They are clear that I should play my natural game, and when they say that, it gives me confidence,” he remarked. Sharma discussed his growth since his previous international appearances, explaining, “After the Zimbabwe series, I was over thinking a bit. But when the captain and coach said they wanted me to play freely, it became clear in my mind. When I play my shots and the team wins, I enjoy it more.”The Punjab batter expressed his enthusiasm for facing Australia’s world-class bowling attack.“As a batter, you want to face world-class bowlers. Some of the deliveries even surprised me – I haven’t seen something like that in T20s before. But I was enjoying the challenge,” he added.
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