The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team secured their entry into the Super 4 stage of ongoing Asia Cup with a 40-run victory over Hong Kong on Wednesday, becoming the second team to qualify after Afghanistan.
While the batters flourished, with Suryakumar Yadav (68 not out) and Virat Kohli (59 not out) belting out half-centuries to guide the Men in Blue to a commanding 192/2, the bowling unit was slightly expensive on the day, especially in the slog overs even if Hong Kong’s hopes of pulling off an unlikely victory were well over by then.
Pacers Avesh Khan (1/53) and Arshdeep Singh (1/44) were especially expensive as the pair ended up conceding nearly a hundred runs of the 152 that Hong Kong could muster on the day.
Meanwhile, India’s performance on Wednesday drew criticism from some quarters and former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez for one wasn’t impressed with the way Rohit conducted affairs as the team leader in their second and final group game.
Rohit has not been able to lead with the bat in India’s two games so far, against Pakistan and Hong Kong respectively, producing scores of 12 (18) and 21 (13) respectively.
“You see Rohit Sharma’s expression after winning the match. This expression happened after India won by 40 runs. I had talked about Rohit Sharma’s body language, when he came out to toss, he looked weak, he seemed afraid, and confused. I am not being able to see Rohit Sharma, whom I have observed during matches playing incredible innings. I think captaincy is putting a lot of pressure on Rohit. He is facing a lot of difficulties,” Hafeez said in a discussion on PTV Sports.
“It’s not my prediction, but my opinion is that going forward, it will be difficult for him to continue leading. He might not be able to lead for a long time. I have always seen Rohit enjoying and expressing himself. Now, he is not expressing himself,” added the former Pakistan captain.
India will face Pakistan in their next assignment in the Asia Cup on Sunday should their arch-rivals come out on top against Hong Kong later on Friday. Besides the winner of the Pakistan-HK clash, the Men in Blue will also face Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, who beat Bangladesh in a nerve-wracking thriller Thursday to become the second team from Group B to qualify for the Super 4 stage.
