Aakash Chopra praised Rohit Sharma for maintaining his aggressive top-order style in India’s World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand.
After being invited to bat first at Dharamsala on Sunday, October 22, the Kiwis set the Men in Blue a 274-run goal. After that, Rohit hammered a 40-ball 46 to create the groundwork for India’s chase, as the two-time winners won by four wickets with two overs to spare, knocking the Black Caps off the top of the points table.
In a video posted to his YouTube account, Chopra reflected on the game and complimented Rohit for his game-changing knock. He stated, “
“If leading from the front had a face, it is Rohit Sharma. He is the guy who shows it by doing it. He changes the match on his own. There was a threat from Trent Boult and Matt Henry at the start. He neutralized that threat.”
Aakash Chopra
The former India opener stated that Rohit’s attitude pushed Trent Boult to change his strategy. He elaborated:
“The biggest sign of that was Trent Boult went around the stumps after starting over the stumps. It means that he was no longer focusing on swing and was going for the angle. Angle means Trent Boult’s stature was halved.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra also stated that the Indian captain’s onslaught caused Matt Henry to change his line and length. He noticed:
“Matt Henry was bowling extremely well but Rohit jumped down the track and hit him for a six. When Rohit plays, he plays differently. He deserved a fifty and more. He got an inside edge and got out.”
Aakash Chopra
Before inside-edging a Lockie Ferguson delivery onto his stumps, Rohit blasted four fours and two sixes. In just 11.1 overs, he and Shubman Gill combined 71 runs for the opening wicket to give their team a lead start in the run chase.
Virat Kohli’s knock earns him praise from Aakash Chopra, calls him a living legend
Aakash Chopra also commended Virat Kohli’s performance in staying with the team until the end and ensuring India’s victory. Chopra elaborated:
“Virat Kohli’s story is different. He is a living legend. The greatness is because he understands how to take the game forward, the demands of the situation, the sort of conditions that are there, and the pace at which he needs to pull the match.”
Aakash Chopra
However, the cricketer-turned-commentator recognized that Kohli had a role to play in Suryakumar Yadav’s run-out. He pointed out that the run might have been completed and that the modern batting great abandoned the mission a bit too late for his partner to return to his crease.