"You cannot say it is not working because of one match or one pitch" - Piyush Chawla backs Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli's opening combination
Veteran Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla feels India need to back the opening combination of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli despite the partnership not flourishing in their T20 World Cup clash against Ireland. The duo added just 22 runs in 16 balls as Kohli departed for 1(5).
With the way the ball has been moving around upfront in New York, there may rise a debate about whether Kohli should return to the No. 3 position to anchor the innings. However, Chawla has opined that if the team management has backed the two star players to do the job at the top, they need to stick to it.
Speaking to Star Sports after the game, here's what Piyush Chawla said about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's opening combination:
"Look, these two players are very experienced and when they have opened for the team before, they have done well. You cannot say it is not working because of one match or one pitch. I want that since the team has selected a combination, they should stick to it and back it."
Sharma and Kohli, before the game against Ireland, had last opened for India in a T20I against England in Ahmedabad in 2021. There, the duo had added 94 runs and India will hope for such partnerships going forward in the showpiece event.
Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant showed great application: Piyush Chawla
There has been a lot of talk about the pitch in the Nassau County Cricket Club in New York and many feel it was dangerous for the players. While Piyush Chawla agreed that it was a tough pitch to bat on, he lauded Rohit Sharma (52) and Rishabh Pant (36*) for showing great application and churning out the runs.
On this, Chawla stated:
"It wasn't an easy pitch to bat on, but the way Rohit and Rishabh batted, they showed that despite tough conditions, if you apply yourself as a batter, you can score the runs."
Piyush Chawla also lauded Indian bowlers for a fantastic bowling performance that saw them bundle out Ireland for just 97 runs. While there was a lot of help in the wicket, Chawla praised the bowlers for not getting carried away and patiently bowling in the right areas, which reaped rewards.