Abhishek reveals his anchoring side in tough conditions

Abhishek Sharma scored 68 off 37 balls in a challenging T20I against Australia, showcasing adaptability and patience amid a struggling Indian lineup.

Kolkata: The most balls Abhishek Sharma has faced in an innings is 55 in IPL and 54 in T20Is. Needless to say he finished with hundreds on both occasions, striking at better than 250 before being dismissed deep into the innings—in the 18th over against England and in the 17th over against Punjab Kings, both this year.

Abhishek Sharma bats against Australia during their T20 cricket match in Melbourne on Friday. (AP)

Never before has the 25-year-old batted this deep into an innings and not scored a hundred or thereabouts as against Australia in Friday’s second T20I at Melbourne.

Abhishek has had a big year so far and a lot of talk is deservedly centred on that stupendous strike rate. But what isn’t discussed in enough depth is the thought process that fuels these innings, and how good — or not yet — he really is. The innings at the MCG, on a pitch where other Indian batters were hopping and ducking, provided some insight.

The scoreboard will say he scored 68 off 37 balls, par for Abhishek because there is a set pattern to his scoring — he either gets out very early, or in the high 30s or 40s, and on some other occasions will go up to the 70s. The two international hundreds — 100 against Zimbabwe and 135 against England — came at Harare and Wankhede, tracks that don’t have much seam movement but plenty of bounce that stroke makers like him appreciate.

In IPL, the conditions are typically batting-friendly and Abhishek has cashed in big time. Melbourne was the polar opposite to everything he had faced, but the batter remained unfazed to play an anchor role few knew he had the patience for.

Five wickets down in no time, the ball flying and zipping around asking questions, Australia had a stranglehold over the situation. Yet India stayed alive because Abhishek was in the middle. And even though he was off the strike for long periods, 49/5 had a different ring to it as long as he made every ball matter when he got the strike. Which is why though he had faced only 28 balls till the 17th over, Abhishek ensured he scored almost half — 53 out of 110 — of India’s total by then. Overall too he had hit 10 of India’s 15 boundaries, spread out till the six off Xavier Barlett in the 18th over.

H had to adapt along the way because India’s batting fortunes rely heavily on his unshackled hitting at the start. The difficult pitch too contributed to a recalibrated approach. “So, (I played) according to the situation, obviously, it is not that I was not aware of the situation,” he said after the match. “I felt that the more the score would be (the better it would be for the team), because the wicket was looking very difficult while playing. It was not easy to hit shots. But this was my mindset.”

Josh Hazlewood bowling four of the first 10 overs added to the challenge, but Abhishek kept his chin up and hit all of India’s eight boundaries till then. Holding the innings together was the priority but he showed spine by not being uncharacteristically cautious.

“First of all, I play according to the team plan, which is to dominate the top order. But today it was a little unexpected,” he said. “They caught the spot as bowlers, their line and lengths were perfect. And when cricketers are falling in front of you, no matter who you are, you have to play a little for the team.”

It needed a partnership which came only after Harshit Rana came in. It also inadvertently pushed Abhishek into the background, leaving him to face only 14 balls out of the 47-ball stand. The reverse would have been ideal for India, but Australia were relentless and the probability of Abhishek’s dismissal would also have increased manifold.

India didn’t put up a big score in the end, and Sharma didn’t bat through, so the partnership didn’t exactly work. But 125 is any day better than 100 all out. And that happened purely because Sharma stayed patient and kept attacking whenever he got the strike.

“It is not usual,” he said. “But with ups and downs in my batting for a fair amount of time, even I was confused. Even in the IPL, openers were so consistent. Obviously if you have to take that competition on, you have to do something exceptional.

“I try to execute my shots using my awareness of the field. In the nets, or when I am at home, my focus is to bat with a field in mind. Also, I try to play different bowlers all the time, and not similar ones. And then the only motive is to play my shots without getting out. That training has helped me a lot.”