cricket

Updated: Feb 08, 2019 15:17 IST

After losing the opening game by 80 runs, India came back strongly in the second T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday as they registered a 7-wicket win to level the three-match series 1-1. The star of the show was undoubtedly skipper Rohit Sharma as he led the chase with a quality knock of 50 off just 29 balls. During the knock, he also became the highest run-getter in T20I cricket overtaking Martin Guptill.

Speaking at the end of the game, Rohit said that he was very happy to see how clinical the boys were in their performance. He said that while the team has quality, the execution was perfect.

“Very pleased to see how we bowled, and we were quite clinical with the bat as well. We have quality in our side, but we executed our plans better today, after learning from our mistakes. It’s important to understand the mistakes that we made — it’s been a long tour for everyone,” he said.

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Rohit went on to add that the team management didn’t wish to put too much pressure on the players and wanted the boys to go out and enjoy themselves. “So we didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on the boys, just go in there with a clear mind,” he explained.

The India skipper is looking forward to the last game of the series with the scores level at 1-1. “It’s going to be a cracker of a game in the 3rd T20I, but nothing to take away from New Zealand, they’re still a quality side.”

Needing 35 to become the highest run scorer in the T20I format, Rohit Sharma achieved the feat when he took the attack to the Kiwi bowlers from the word go while the Indians chased 159 for a win in the second games of the three-match T20I series. After losing the opening game by 80 runs, it was important that India started well at the top at Eden Park and the duo of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan ensured the same. Rohit reached the milestone in style as he sent Ish Sodhi into the long-leg stands for another six.

While Rohit sits on top, New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill is second on 2272 and Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik is third with 2245. He is the only Indian batsman to smash 100 sixes in T20Is. West Indies star Chris Gayle and Guptill are the other two to have achieved the feat.