India captain Rohit Sharma has hit back at former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who recently accused Indian pacers of ball-tampering during their T20 World Cup 2024 match against Australia.
Inzamam questioned how India’s bowlers, particularly Arshdeep Singh, managed to reverse swing the ball so early in the game.
Rohit’s Clever Response
Speaking at a press conference ahead of India’s semi-final against England, Rohit Sharma didn’t hold back. Known for his witty remarks, Rohit urged critics to “open your mind” and understand the conditions under which they are playing.
“What answer will I give? If you are playing under the sun and the wickets are this dry, the ball will reverse on its own. The ball is reversing for all teams. Not just for us,” Rohit stated.
“Sometimes, it’s important to open your mind (use your brain). You have to understand where we are playing. We are not playing in England or Australia,” he added, emphasizing the natural conditions contributing to the reverse swing.
Inzamam’s Accusations
Earlier, Inzamam-ul-Haq had raised eyebrows by questioning Arshdeep Singh’s ability to reverse swing the ball as early as the 15th over in their match against Australia.
“Arshdeep Singh, when he was bowling the 15th over, the ball was reversing. Is it too early [for reverse swing] with the new ball? This means the ball was ready for reverse swing by the 12th or 13th over. Umpires should keep their eyes open [to spot] these things,” Inzamam had stated on a local news channel.
Rohit Sharma’s Take on the Scheduling Controversy
The allegations come amid ongoing discussions about India potentially having an advantage due to the World Cup’s scheduling.
Former England cricketers Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd have accused the ICC of favoritism, noting that India was the only team to know their semi-final venue (Guyana) and date (June 27) even before the tournament started.
Rohit Sharma, however, dismissed the notion that India had any advantage. “I don’t think it’s an advantage – I mean, a lot of these players have played in different types of venues. I’m sure a lot of these English cricketers have played at this venue,” stated Sharma.
“So, I don’t see this as an advantage. At the end of the day, you’ve got to play good cricket to win a cricket game. That’s how I look at it.”
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