Skipper confident of Team India continuing their form in semi-final clash with New Zealand in Mumbai
Rohit Sharma (right) with head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar (left) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday evening. Pic/Satej Shinde
When MS Dhoni’s Indian team outclassed Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium and clinched the coveted trophy after a gap of 28 years, current India captain Rohit Sharma was not part of the Indian team. However, now he is at the helm of affairs and just two wins away from winning India’s third ODI World Cup.
Rohit has led from the front, scoring 503 runs and helped the team to win all nine league games in the tournament. And the in-form opening batsman assured that his unbeatable team are ready to face New Zealand in the semi-final at his home ground in Mumbai on Wednesday.
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When asked about his cricketing journey which started at Wankhede, he asserted that his focus is on the all important semi-final clash only. “Probably after November 19 I will think about it [his journey]. Right now, it is just business and pure business of getting the job done for the team. Obviously, it is such a high-profile tournament; everybody is watching. You want to display good cricket as the Indian team, and that is what we’ve done in this tournament so far, which is very, very good. But again, we know the importance of this week. We don’t really have to change too much. It’s that same mindset as we were before the start of the World Cup,” Rohit said during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
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However, Rohit admitted that Kiwis are the toughest team to beat because of their consistent performances in ICC tournaments. “Overall, whenever we’ve come up against New Zealand, obviously, they are probably the most disciplined team in terms of how they want to play the game. And they play their cricket very smartly.
“So yeah, and we do understand what they bring to the table and how they play their cricket. We have been closely following all the teams as to where their strengths lie, where their weakness lie. And based on that, we try to go out there and play the game,” Rohit remarked.
The India captain also made it clear that his team believe in staying in the present. “What has happened in the past is the past. I don’t think there’s much debate or much talk about what happened 10 years ago or five years ago or the last World Cup as well. This current crop of players are very much into what is happening today, what can happen tomorrow. The focus is always on the present. And that, I believe is a very, very good thing. Going into a tournament like this, from game No.1, the focus has always been on what we can achieve today. What you achieve today sets you up for what you can achieve tomorrow. So, I think the crop of players that we have is very much focused on that process,” Rohit added.
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