Former India head coach Ravi Shastri commended India’s exciting seven-run win over England in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Shastri lauded Suryakumar Yadav and Co. for getting “absolutely everything” right from high-scoring drama to brilliant fielding efforts and courageous bowling․
The 499 runs scored in the match and the masterly innings played by Sanju Samson (89) and Jacob Bethell (105) aside, according to Shastri, the match was a lot closer than what the eventual 7-run margin of victory suggested․ The Indian fielding, especially two catches by Axar Patel, was the difference between the teams according to Shastri.
“It was a lot tighter than many people think․ Yes, it shows seven runs on the board, but for those catches from Axar Patel this could have gone either way․”
On India reaching the final – two years after their last World Cup win – Shastri attributed the success to consistent performances through the tournament.
“They’ve played some real consistent cricket․ They have got a nice blend of youth and experience, lot of the players who played in the last World cup final are on the side so they would have gained from that experience and here playing at home is not easy,” Shastri said.
Shastri lauded India’s flexibility regarding the batting order, especially with sending Shivam Dube up to the order to No. 4 based on playing to their strengths. “You’ve got to be flexible and play to your strengths. Shivam’s strength is to take on spin, and he’s proven it time and time again. He has a tendency to perform well in big games. Some of the boundaries towards the end were crucial in pushing India’s total out of reach,” he explained.
The former India head coach is expecting a huge attendance for Saturday’s final against the New Zealand in Ahmedabad, and he warned India not to underestimate the New Zealanders. “They have had a good run against India in the past so that’s one team India will not take lightly,” he said.
