Big relief” for Rohit Sharma as India qualifies for Super 8 on NY surface where cricket “wasn’t easy

New York [US], : Captain Rohit Sharma admitted that it was a “big relief” for him after India qualified for the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup following a 7-wicket win over the co-hosts USA in the Group A clash at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Wednesday.

It was a hard-fought victory for India after the experienced duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fell cheaply in the first three overs. Shivam Dube and Suryakumar Yadav held their composure to ensure India maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament. The duo stitched the match-winning stand of 72 runs.

“It is a big relief, playing cricket here wasn’t easy. We had to stick through till the end in all 3 games. Will take a lot of confidence from these wins,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.

A target of 111 seemed a paltry chase for a side like India that possesses the calibre to chase down even the herculean totals against the best bowling line-ups in the world. Arshdeep finished with incredible figures of 4-9 while Hardik Pandya scalped two wickets, conceding 14 runs.

But the USA pacers managed to test India’s depth with their disciplined line and length. It took Dube and Suryakumar to go against their natural game and help India successfully chase down the biggest total in New York.

“Knew it would be tough. Credit to us for the way we held our nerve and got that partnership. Credit to Surya and Dube for showing the maturity and taking us through,” Rohit noted.

“Surya showed he has a different game to him, that’s what you expect from experienced players. Credit to the way he stuck through today to take the game deep and win it for us,” he added.

A lot of familiar faces were in the USA camp, with the likes of Nitish Kumar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Harmeet Singh and Jasdeep Singh featuring in the line-up.

Netravalkar played with Suryakumar in the U-15 set-up while he also played in the U-19 World Cup in 2010 alongside Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul and many more stars.

“A lot of these guys have played cricket together, very happy to see their progress. Saw them last year in MLC as well, they are all hard-working guys,” Rohit said while talking about Indian-American cricketers.

Coming to the match, Arshdeep’s pace blitz, followed by Suryakuamar Yadav and Shivam Dube’s 72-run partnership, ensured India maintained their unbeaten run in the ongoing T20 World Cup as they clinched a 7-wicket win over the co-hosts USA at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

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