Media365
NEW DELHI: India batter Abhishek Sharma attributed his remarkable century to his extensive pre-match preparations, which included reenacting match scenarios at the nets. Sharma has always had the conviction to play an extraordinary innings like the 54-ball 135 he made against England in Mumbai on Sunday.
India crushed England 4-1 thanks to Abhishek’s powerful innings, which saw him smash a record 13 sixes (the most by any Indian hitter in a T20I knock) and seven fours.
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“You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said in the post-match press meet.
“All these things calculate (work out well) at the end and I had the belief that on my day, I will play an innings like this,” he said.
Abhishek said he enjoyed using the pace of the England pacers as well as hitting their leg-spinner Adil Rashid for a cumulative 13 sixes.
“I do not remember half of them now to be honest,” he quipped.
“But the way I used the pace of the bowlers over covers or even against Adil Rashid… it felt good. I try to generate the match scenarios in nets and use the bowlers the way I am going to face in the match,” Abhishek said.
The 24-year-old said his particular celebrations after reaching his second T20I century were intended for his family and thanked India great Yuvraj Singh for his support during the journey.
“My mother and sister are here for the match and when your parents are here and you play an innings like that in front of them, it makes you feel happy and proud for being able to share such a moment,” he said.
The batter claimed that there is no sense of rivalry or fear amongst between other contenders, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.
“I met Jaiswal and Shubman yesterday (on Saturday). We are playing together since U-16, there is no such feeling. The only dream was to play for India and since all three of us are playing there is no bigger thing than that,” he said.
