New Delhi, July 2: Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel expressed satisfaction with the performance of Indian batsmen in the rain-affected first T20 International match against England. He particularly praised Abhishek Sharma’s batting.
Winning the toss, the Indian team batted first, scoring 189 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer played outstanding innings, each scoring half-centuries. However, due to continuous rain, the England team could not bat, leading to the match being called off.
According to Patel, India embraced the challenge of batting in unfamiliar conditions rather than adopting a cautious approach. He told ‘GeoStar’, “From India’s perspective, they needed this kind of batting performance, especially after what happened in Ireland. They wanted to challenge themselves; they aimed to adapt quickly to the conditions, and India executed this very well in this match.”
He added, “A score of 190 runs on this pitch was good. Especially with three spinners bowling in the middle overs, I felt India had enough runs to defend. This victory will boost Team India’s confidence going into the second T20 match.”
The former cricketer lauded Abhishek Sharma, crediting the left-handed batsman for quickly understanding the nature of the pitch and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. He remarked, “I felt he batted very well. He understood the conditions nicely. There was a bit of spongy bounce in Durham, but he ensured to take advantage whenever the opportunity arose.”
Patel noted that the standout feature of Abhishek Sharma’s innings was his aggressive batting against both pace and spin bowlers. He stated, “That over from Saqib Mahmood was a crucial turning point in the match. Abhishek stepped up and hit three fantastic fours, two over point and one over mid-off. When the spinners came on, he chose the right spots to play big shots and easily hit sixes.”
Patel believes that consistently performing well in foreign conditions has solidified Abhishek’s reputation as one of the best T20 batsmen. He said, “Scoring runs in countries like South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia proves any batsman’s capability. The true assessment of players happens in these challenging conditions. Abhishek has performed brilliantly in South Africa and then in Australia. Now, he has also played excellently in England. This is why he has been among the top batsmen in the T20 International rankings for nearly a year.” The second match of the five-match T20 series between India and England will now take place on Saturday at Old Trafford in Manchester.
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