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Anxious faces were the norm at Chepauk on Thursday evening. The large gathering knew the import of India’s Super Eights encounter against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup. Their apprehension stemmed mainly from an uncharacteristic implosion in Ahmedabad when India were bundled out for 111 by South Africa, but that emotion proved singularly unfounded after a powerhouse batting display brought the hosts the highest total of this edition, a monumental 256-4.
The near-full house at the here revelled in Sanju Samson’s sixes in the first two overs, but it was when Abhishek Sharma cut loose that they truly found their voice. The last three weeks have been extremely trying for the left-hander, whose scores of 0, 0, 0 and 15 bore an almost direct relation to the Indian batting not firing on all cylinders. Once the Abhishek of 2025, a force of nature with not a single negative bone in his body, reappeared, India’s batting was a celebration, a mighty dance of power and sinewy grace.
What clicked mentally for Abhishek between Sunday night, when he tried to hack every ball against the Proteas, and 96 hours later when he held his shape, relied on timing and refused to be drawn into agricultural hoicks, isn’t clear. Maybe his long discussions with coaches Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak helped, maybe he was energised by the videos strung together by performance analyst Hari Prasad Mohan that showcased India’s batting at its glorious best. Whatever it was, Abhishek was calmness personified, as if he had consciously decided to divorce himself from the events of the preceding 20 days.
Crisp strokes down the ground, along the carpet or aerial, dominated his 30-ball 55. Determined to show that the faith placed in him by the leadership group wasn’t misplaced, Abhishek shed his lean trot without compromising on his natural instincts, but with a sagacity that had briefly eluded him.
West Indies in a virtual quarter-final at the iconic Eden Gardens is something Abhishek will relish, now that he knows all is well with his batting world. Sunday in Kolkata should be fun.
183.33
Abhishek Sharma’s strike-rate against Zimbabwe on Thursday
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