Rohit Sharma started the carnage that ensued at the Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday as India posted a mammoth 240/3 in the third T20I against the West Indies.
Rohit scored 71 off just 34 balls in an innings that was punctuated with six fours and five sixes. But, incredibly enough, he was upstaged by his opening partner K.L. Rahul (91 off 56 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (70 not out off 29 balls).
“It’s a good track to bat on, and with the dew, we knew we had to get over 200,” Rohit said in a mid-innings interview.
“On a pitch like this, you just have to back yourself to play your shots, which we did today. On a good pitch, you’ve just got to come out and express yourself. We know Wankhede is a very good track to bat on. Once we got that start, it was important to carry on the momentum. We know how dangerous West Indies can be. You need to keep mixing your lengths, varying your pace, keep the batsmen guessing,” he said.
The West Indies were handed an early blow in the chase when opener Evin Lewis could not take the field due to an injury he sustained during the Indian innings. The winner of this match will pocket the series which is currently tied at 1-1.