Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag reportedly expressed strong disapproval when a reporter asked captain Rohit Sharma about ball-tampering allegations made by Inzamam-ul-Haq. Sehwag's reaction came right ahead of India's crucial T20 World Cup semi-final against England on June 27.
Sehwag Upset Over Ball-Tampering Question to Rohit
Rohit was posed a question on alleged ball tampering in the pre-match press conference on June 26. Rohit responded by pointing out that such claims, if true, wouldn't be limited to just India.
"You are playing in such hot sun, the wicket is so dry, the ball reverses automatically. It's happening for all the teams, not only ours. All the teams are reverse-swinging," Rohit replied to the reporter.
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Sehwag Defends Rohit Sharma Against 'Controversial' Question
Virender Sehwag came to the defense of Indian captain Rohit Sharma following a question from a reporter. Sehwag, visibly upset, criticized the reporter for asking about unsubstantiated match-fixing allegations. Speaking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag suggested the reporter lacked original questions and was simply trying to stir controversy by seeking a reaction to someone else's remarks.
"I have a problem with this incident. If someone has given a statement, then it's not the duty of the reporters to quote the statement and ask, 'What's your opinion'. This is totally wrong on behalf of the reporters. This clearly means that the reporters don't have their own questions and they are just asking for answers on someone's quote," Sehwag said.
Sehwag further criticized the reporter, stating he wouldn't have dignified such a question with a response if he were in Rohit's shoes.
"Basically, they just want some controversy. If I was there (in Rohit Sharma's place), I wouldn't even have answered at all," he further added.
Controversy swirled around the Indian team in the lead-up to their semi-final clash against England. Former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, sparked outrage by accusing India of ball-tampering during their Super 8 match against Australia. His accusation stemmed from Arshdeep Singh's ability to generate reverse swing with the ball as early as the 15th over. Inzamam suggested the Indian bowlers might have tampered with the ball to achieve this effect.
"If Pakistan bowlers did this, there would have been hue and cry. We know how to reverse it really well. If Arshdeep can reverse it in the 15th, there's been some serious work done on the ball," Inzamam has earlier said.
India remain unbeaten in the T20 World Cup
India continued their impressive T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing win against Australia in the Super 8 stage. Batting first, skipper Rohit Sharma led the charge with a blistering knock of 92 runs off just 41 balls, peppering the bowling with 7 fours and 8 sixes. Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya all provided valuable contributions in the middle and lower order, ensuring a strong total on the board. The bowling attack mirrored the batting dominance. Arshdeep Singh continued his wicket-taking spree, claiming 3 crucial wickets for 37 runs in his 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah, the pace spearhead, snagged the vital wicket of Travis Head, while Kuldeep Yadav's left-arm wrist spin proved effective in the middle overs, fetching him 2 wickets for 24 runs. India successfully defended their total, winning by a comfortable margin of 24 runs. Rohit Sharma's exceptional performance earned him the well-deserved Player of the Match award.
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