IND vs PAK 2022: “Did our openers look aggressive?” – Virender Sehwag disappointed with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's flop show in T20 World Cup opener
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag was disgusted with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul after they departed cheaply against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday (October 23).
He didn’t like their defensive approach while facing Pakistan speedsters Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah. The openers eventually departed for identical scores of four runs.
While Rahul 4(8) played the ball back onto the stumps against Naseem Shah, Rohit 4(7) was caught out at slip by Iftikhar Ahmed off Haris Rauf.
The early breakthroughs left India reeling at 10/2 in 3.2 overs. Luckily, a match-winning knock from Virat Kohli (unbeaten 83 off 53 balls) saved India from the blemishes.
Choking kardi phir 😔😔
Chokers-2 bhai-2
#INDvsPAK
#T20WorldCup @ImRo45 @klrahul
Expectations hurts again 💔 😞 https://t.co/OJnBbThPkX
Sehwag thinks one of the two batters needs to play an aggressive brand of cricket and take charge to make the most against the bowlers during the powerplay overs.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, the former India swashbuckling opener said:
“Did our openers look aggressive? They were leaving and defending the ball. The body language was not positive. One out of the two needs to be positive. Decide who will do that because you also have to dominate against the bowlers. One of them needs to take charge.”
Rahul and Rohit also departed cheaply against Pakistan at the 2021 T20 World Cup. The duo scored three runs and a duck, respectively.
The openers must provide a good platform for the middle order batters throughout the showpiece T20 event Down Under if India wants to strengthen their chances of lifting the trophy once again after a 15-year gap.
"First game gives you momentum" - Sehwag backs Rohit Sharma and Co. to play with freedom in upcoming games
Sehwag also said that the four-wicket win against Pakistan would give Rohit Sharma-led India a chance to express themselves in their remaining group-stage matches.
“The first game gives you momentum and shows how far you will go. Now, India will not play under pressure in the remaining matches. When India play with freedom, they play better cricket.”
On paper, South Africa are the only strong team other than India and Pakistan in Group 2. The Men in Blue will face the Proteas in Perth on Sunday (October 30).
Rohit Sharma and Co. will next take on the Netherlands at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday (October 27). The team management might be tempted to rest their senior players and test their bench strength against the minnows.