"Probably one of his ugliest knocks"- Dinesh Karthik on Rohit Sharma's half-century in IND vs IRE match of 2024 T20 World Cup
Dinesh Karthik reckoned that Rohit Sharma's 52-run innings during India's 2024 T20 World Cup opener against Ireland on Wednesday, June 5, was among the ugliest knocks in the star batter's international career. The Men in Blue skipper looked scratchy in the run chase.
Sharma was India's top performer with the bat on the challenging pitch. He was struck on the elbow while batting and was ultimately retired hurt in the 10th over. Speaking about the seasoned campaigner's batting exploits, Karthik opined that he may not get a lot of confidence despite getting runs under his belt, considering the tricky nature of the surface.
Karthik remarked during a discussion on Cricbuzz:
"It was probably one of his ugliest knocks going around in international cricket, mainly because of the pitch. Will he get a lot of confidence? You can't get too much confidence from this pitch because you are fighting against luck a lot of times. It's not something that you'll feel good about. You'll just feel satisfied that you got the job done for the team."
Karthik added that while Sharma would be happy with some of his shots, he would be aware that his approach might not provide the same result when he plays again on this kind of pitch, adding:
"Rohit Sharma fought it out there. He played a few shots which will give him confidence, like the couple of sixes off Joshua Little, the pull shot, even that literally getting into a position, but not smooth enough how a normal Rohit Sharma does. So, overall it's an inning that will give him the belief that on tough pitches, there is a method that he has, which he will back and try and do, but also know at the back of his mind that it need not be successful the next day."
The pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York has grabbed headlines as batters have struggled to counter the variable bounce. The fast bowlers have made merry on the wicket as it has provided them with ample lateral movement.
"You got to appreciate the mindset" - Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli's dismissal in IND vs IRE match
Virat Kohli opened the batting for Team India in their 2024 T20 World Cup encounter against Ireland. However, the ace batter's stay at the crease was brief, as he perished after scoring just one run from five balls.
Kohli lost his wicket while trying to play an attacking shot. He was undone by the extra bounce and ended up getting a top edge that went into the hands of the third-man fielder.
Dinesh Karthik suggested that while the 35-year-old got out cheaply, the fact that he was looking to play with a lot of intent is great news for the Indian team. He said:
"From an Indian point of view, it shows you Kohli's mindset. The willingness to take on the bowling very early. Gets beaten, decides okay, time to put him on the backfoot. So, you got to appreciate the mindset which is something you want him to take as this tournament progresses, the tougher games, to carry the same mindset because when you go to the Caribbean, you'll get better pitches."
India secured a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Ireland, successfully chasing down a 97-run target in just 12.2 overs. They will now take on Pakistan in New York on Sunday, June 9.