Rohit Sharma produced a special effort on a challenging pitch where the majority of Indian batters struggled, as the hosts were restricted to 229 for nine by England in their World Cup game in Lucknow on Sunday. (Scorecard | Match Blog | Full Coverage)
With India getting to bat first for the first time in the tournament, the batters got a good opportunity to set the target. It was, however, only Rohit (87 off 101) and Suryakumar Yadav (49 off 47) who found a way to bat on a two-paced wicket while the others perished tryi💃ng to force the pace.
The 91-run partnership between Rohit and KL Rahul (39 off 58)☂ stabilised the innings after In❀dia found themselves at 40 for three in the 12th over.
Rohit also added 33 v𒊎aluable runs with Suryakumar but the skipper's fall led to a clutch of wickets. In his second game of the com𓂃petition, Suryakumar then batted around the tail to get some much-needed runs in the death overs.
England were finally able to put together an effort worthy of d💜efending champions, excelling both with the ball and in the field.
Chris Wo🍃akes (2/33) impressed in his🌄 seven-over spell with the new ball while leggie Adil Rashid (2/35) continued to collect wickets in the middle overs. David Willey (3/45) too was effective.
Application was 💖going to be the ke💯y on the relaid red soil pitch here and Rohit put up a masterclass.
After consuming six dot balls in the first over of the game bowled by Willey, the India skipper released the pressur🔯e by smashing the left-arm pacer for a couple of sixes and a four in his following over.
Rohit used the feet both against the pacers and spinners to manufacture the boundaries but the likes of Virat Kohli (0 off 9 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (4 off 16) departed while searchin🎶g for that pressure release shot.
It was a rare duck f🔯or Kohli, who tried to step out like Rohit only to mistime his shot to Ben Stokes at mid-off.
Shreya♔s was sent back by Woakes off a🌠 perfectly placed short-of-a-length ball that got big on India's number four. Shreyas needs to fight the demon in his head to improve his short ball play.
♔Woakes h𝔍ad struggled for accuracy thus far in the World Cup but delivered on Sunday.
♍With three batters dismissed for 40, the onus was on Rohit to take the innings forward and he did with a l🧸ot of class.
After stepping out the fast bowlers, Rohit displayed his artistry against the spin trio of Rashid, Liam Livingstone ෴and Moeen Ali.
He swept Rashid, reverse-swept 🦩Livingstone and came down the track to loft Moeen over mid-off for three of the 10 fours he struck. His pick-up shot off Mark Wood that went all the way was also sublime.
I𓆏🙈n Hardik Pandya's absence, India fielded five bowlers again but R Ashwin remained out of the playing eleven.
