Team India captain Rohit Sharma has come out in support of young Avesh Khan who failed to defend 10 runs in the final over of the second T20I against West Indies on Monday (August 1) at Warner Park in St Kitts. As a result, the hosts managed to bounce back and level the five-match series at 1-1.
With 10 runs needed off the final six deliveries, many though that the Indian would turn to their most dependable bowler in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. However, Rohit Sharma surprised one and all when he handed over the ball to young Avesh Khan.
The seamer of Madhya Pradesh failed to live up to the pressure, conceding 12 runs in his first two balls as India squandered the 1-0 lead. While Avesh was bashed all over the social media, Rohit defended the young seamer, saying that youngsters will never gain experience unless they are put on the spot.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit stated:
“We know what Bhuvi does for us; he has been doing it for years. Unless you give chances to guys like Avesh and Arshdeep you’ll never know. But it is just one game. They have the skills and the talent and it is all about backing them.”
In response, the hosts rode on a half-century from Brandon King (68) at the top and a counterattacking knock from Devon Thomas (31* off 19) to chase down 139 with four balls to spare.
“This is the approach we want with the bat” – Rohit Sharma on India’s aggressive strategy
Team India have adopted a different teamplate ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. The batters have played an aggressive brand of cricket despite losing wickets at regular intervals.
Although India lost the second T20I, Rohit stated that India won’t change their aggressive approach. He stated:
“We have to look at some things in our batting. But I will say it again and again, this is the approach we want with the bat. We won’t panic. We won’t change anything after one loss.”
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