It wasn’t under the ideal circumstances that Rohit Sharma has to come out to help his side in the second ODI vs Bangladesh.
But he had little option than to stride in the middle and take on the bowlers when India required 65 runs were required off 44 balls – in what was a must-win game for India to keep themselves alive in the series – with the pitch doing all sorts of tricks a Dhaka pitch does reaching the end of an ODI game.
A thumb injury sustained while fielding earlier in the day meant that Rohit didn’t open in the chase of 272. But he had to shift way down to number 9, only above the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik.
Bangladesh take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series
Sharma started off cautiously, taking just 4 singles off his first 10 balls, trying to recalibrate the way he holds the bat handle and gauging the surface.
But with little time left, he knew he had to take off soon, and he did in spectacular fashion: two trademark pulled sixes to the in-form Ebadot Hossain and ended the over with a cover boundary. Rohit stood helpless when seeing Mustafizur bowl a maiden over to Siraj, the 48th.
Sharma then smoked off-spinner Mahmudullah for two more sixes in the 49th over, bringing the equation down to 20 runs off the last over, but with only one wicket left now.
He had the strike for the 20th over, and played all 6 balls, and took two fours and a six off the first 5 balls. But, with 6 needed off 1 balls, Mustafizur kept his cool to nail a yorker on the last ball as Bangladesh prevailed by 5 runs. Rohit’s superb innings – 51* off 28 balls – unfortunately went in vain, but the India skipper received immense applause for his courage to bat, and bat splendidly while enduring the pain of his thumb injury.
Suryakumar Yadav hails Rohit Sharma’s brave-hearted effort:
Rohit Sharma’s close friend and his India and Mumbai Indians teammate, Suryakumar Yadav took to Twitter to applaud Sharma’s valorous knock of not just batting with a thumb injury, but also taking the match so close nobody would have thought after India had been reeling at 207/7.
“Massive Respect bro @ImRo45 #BANvsIND,” Suryakumar tweeted.
Massive Respect bro @ImRo45 #BANvsIND
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) December 7, 2022
