As Abhishek Sharma readied himself to tackle the press, one could not help but admire the glitter of his jewellery.
“It (hitting mostly on the off-side) was not a deliberate plan. But I knew that they had a plan for me, so I had to play better than that. With the off-spinner bowling the first over, it was a battle between him and me.
My plan went really well,” Abhishek reflected on his approach during the 69-run knock. Because he has been bowling really well in this series, i gave him respect in the first over.
The 26-year-old, known for treating bowlers with disdain, had to “respect” Chase and play a waiting game in order to be successful in the match.
I make myself uncomfortable in practice so that I am not surprised in a match,” he added. “Preparation is really important if I want to continue playing like this and utilise the PowerPlay. “I want to execute my plan really well and dominate as well. As an attacking batter, I have to be ready for all plans when facing world-class bowlers. “He is a world-class player… kudos to him. We tried to be as defensive as possible and make him get singles and doubles rather than boundaries. It was a matter of trying to pull him back,” Shamar Springer admitted after being at the receiving end.
For the marauding southpaw, opposition-specific pre-series training and “uncomfortable” sessions have been vital to stay on top of his game. It depends on the team and the bowlers I am going to face,” Abhishek said.