Abhishek Sharma gives a cheeky response to Suryakumar Yadav’s ‘Fire and Ice’ comment about his opening partnership with Shubman Gill, which the skipper made during the Asia Cup.
Speaking at the press conference, when asked if their partnership could still be called a mix of fire and ice, Abhishek was quick to say that it has now become ‘fire and fire’.
After being sent in to bat in the 5th T20I, there was curiosity about how India’s top order would perform on a Gabba pitch with plenty of bounce and carry. Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill scored 52 runs before play was stopped after 4.5 overs.
Abhishek was a bit lucky, being dropped twice, but Shubman Gill was in great form, hitting 29 runs off just 16 balls. There was also some criticism around Shubman Gill’s strike rate, but he batted at a strike rate of 181.25.
“I think it has become fire and fire. If you look at the way he (Shubman Gill) was playing today”, Abhishek Sharma said.
Suryakumar Yadav also said that both players try to match each other’s scoring pace, making their partnership a combination of fire and fire.
“They both are looking to match each other’s strike rates. It’s a combination of fire and fire,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
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Shubman Gill hasn’t been able to make full use of his opportunities since returning to T20Is. In the Asia Cup, he scored 127 runs in seven innings at an average of 21.16 and a strike rate of 151.19. His highest score was 47 against Pakistan during the Super 4 match.
In the series against Australia, he started well, scoring 37 not out off 20 balls, but the match was called off due to rain after 9.4 overs. After that, he had two low scores in Melbourne and Hobart. In the 4th T20I, he scored 46 off 39 balls. Although his strike rate raised some questions, it was an important innings considering the pitch and the match situation.
In the 5th T20I at the Gabba, he started brilliantly with 29 not out off 16 balls, but like the 1st T20I, the game was again stopped by rain after just 4.5 overs.
Overall, in five matches, Gill scored 132 runs in five innings at an average of 44.00 and a strike rate of 136.08. Considering his standards, Shubman Gill is still yet to make a big mark in T20Is.
Whereas, if you look at Abhishek Sharma, he has won another Player of the Series award. He scored 163 runs in five innings at an average of 40.75 and a strike rate of 161.38, including one half-century, and finished as the leading run-scorer in the series. He has been in terrific form as earlier in the Asia Cup, he won the Player of the Tournament award with 314 runs in seven innings at an average of 44.85 and a strike rate of 200.00, including three half-centuries, and was the leading run-scorer in the tournament.
If we look at India’s batting lineup since the Asia Cup, Abhishek Sharma is the only batter who has been consistent as every other batter has struggled at times.
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