Video of Rohit Sharma first 50 in T20 Cricket : 7 Fours 2 Sixes : T20 WC 2007

India, rocked by the withdrawal of Yuvraj Singh before the game with tendonitis of the left elbow, had struggled with the bat themselves, slipping to 33 for 3, but a solid 85-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni propelled them to 153 for 5 on a well-grassed pitch of uneven bounce.

 

Rohit Sharma, in his first innings in the tournament, struck some sensational strokes through the cover region, making room and lofting the ball cleanly over the infield. He also targetted the midwicket region, finishing the innings with a glorious six over square leg off a Johan van der Wath full-toss. At the halfway stage India had only 57 on the board, but Rohit Sharma and Dhoni scored 56 in the last five overs as a frown started to crease Graeme Smith’s brow.

 

MS Dhoni | India captain: “We played professional cricket. This is the way we need to play. We needed to get a good start from the bowlers and had to back that up with solid fielding. The important thing is to be determined about winning and have the belief and then you’ll come out on top.”

When asked if his team were worried about the pitch Dhoni says: “We’re not too worried about the grass. We have a very decent bunch of fast bowlers. The way they’ve played today shows they’re among the best in the business.”

Graeme Smith | South Africa captain: “It’s hugely disappoiting. We’ve played some superb cricket and to think we’ve lost only one game and are out of the tournament, it’s very disappointing.”

When asked about where it went wrong Smith says: “Good batting in the end from India took them to 150. But we just kept losing wickets. 150 under lights with a bit of green on the pitch was always going to be a tough ask.’

When asked if South Africa missed Jacques Kallis, Smith said: “I wasn’t even thinking about that. It’s a credit to have someone like Jacques Kallis in your side at any time. We’ve played some good cricket in this tournament so far. On a day like this, in a big game, it’s always good to have experienced cricketers in the mix.”

Rohit Sharma | Man of the Match :  “I’ve played in conditions like this before. I’m used to it,” he says when asked about coming in to bat in a tricky situation. “We felt it was enough,” says Rohit Sharma about the total India put on the board. “There was a lot happening in the wicket. Our bowlers did a really good job as well.”

When asked about the transformation in the Indian fielding Rohit says: “We’ve been working hard on our fielding for the last couple of months. It all came out very nicely today.”

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