Two-time World Cup winner Brad Haddin is a big fan of Indian opener Abhishek Sharma. Why? Abhishek delivered when it mattered most in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Discussing Abhishek's performance, the Aussie used a very interesting word but getting the context is key here.
Abhishek, tipped to be the tournament's top scorer in the lead-up, had a nightmarish start to the event. He registered three ducks in a row, including one against arch-rivals Pakistan. He also missed one group game against Namibia on account of a stomach bug. However, in two important matches for the team, he came good.
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One against Zimbabwe, which they had to win to stay afloat following their ignominious defeat in their previous Super 8 match against South Africa. Thanks to his blistering fifty, India posted 256 and registered a big win. Then, in the final, his bat again breathed fire for an 18-ball fifty as India reached their third 250-plus total of the tournament, on their way to defending their T20 World Cup title successfully.
Haddin, part of the Australian World Cup-winning teams in 2007 and 2015, was kind of gobsmacked by Abhishek's contribution, particularly in the most important match of his life yet. "I'm a huge fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of talk about his position throughout the tournament. Got a few ducks in a row in the pool games, and all of a sudden, you think he is under pressure, but they are the guys you want in the big moments, because they are rascals and they walk into the fire. That is what Abhishek does, he puts pressure on the opposition, and the way that he went out in that final set up the game," the former wicketkeeper said on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast.
Haddin had expected better from New Zealand though!
{{/usCountry}}Haddin, part of the Australian World Cup-winning teams in 2007 and 2015, was kind of gobsmacked by Abhishek's contribution, particularly in the most important match of his life yet. "I'm a huge fan of Abhishek, and there was a lot of talk about his position throughout the tournament. Got a few ducks in a row in the pool games, and all of a sudden, you think he is under pressure, but they are the guys you want in the big moments, because they are rascals and they walk into the fire. That is what Abhishek does, he puts pressure on the opposition, and the way that he went out in that final set up the game," the former wicketkeeper said on the Willow Talk Cricket Podcast.
Haddin had expected better from New Zealand though!
{{/usCountry}}Haddin, however, admitted he had expected New Zealand to cross the last hurdle this time. Although the Kiwis quite often play the white-ball finals, particularly since 2015, they somehow haven't been able to win any World Cups, be it 50 overs or 20 overs. Their triumph in the 2000 ICC Knockout (now called the Champions Trophy with a different format) in Nairobi to date remains their only major success in white-ball cricket.
"New Zealand have done a good job again to get to a final. I thought New Zealand were really red hot for the final. The way Finn Allen and Tim Seifert were batting. I thought they were in one of those tournament modes where everything is going their way. But the last hurdle [they failed to cross]. The classier team won, didn't it?" he said.