India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday said his team needed someone like a Rinku Singh in the backend of the innings and the southpaw is doing what is expected of him.
Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh ransacked 103 runs in the last 5 overs of the Indian innings during the 3rd T20I vs Afghanistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Wednesday en route helping India post 212/4, a remarkable recovery from 22/4 in 4.3 overs.
Down 22/4, Rinku came to the crease to accompany his skipper and smashed an unbeaten 69 off 39 balls in the elite company of Rohit Sharma to bail India out of trouble.
“The last couple of series that he played, he showed what he can do with the bat. Very calm and knows his strength pretty well. He is coming of age and doing what is expected of him and he has done really well for India.
“It augurs well for the team moving forward, wanted someone like that at the backend and we know what he has done in the IPL and he has carried that to the Indian colours as well,” said Rohit, who himself scored a memorable 121 not out off 69 balls.
The swashbuckling duo put on a record stand of 190 runs in just 95 balls, the highest partnership for India for any wicket in a T20I.
“Creating the partnership was important and we (Rinku and I) kept talking to each other to not lose that intent in big games and it was a good game for us to be in, the pressure was there and was important to bat long and deep and not compromise on the intent we want to show.”
The game was nowhere near done after the duo’s mammoth partnership as Afghanistan forced India into not one but a historic second Super Over before the Men in Blue could finally wrap up the win, thanks to a wondrous spell from Ravi Bishnoi in the second Super Over where he picked off 2 wickets in three balls, forcing the Afghans into submission.
