Indian opener Abhishek Sharma said he wanted to express himself after playing a whirlwind knock in the opening T20I against England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday, which the hosts won comprehensively by seven wickets.
Chasing only 133 runs for the win, Sanju Samson took 22 runs of the second over, which was bowled by Gus Atkinson. Samson was dismissed after scoring 26 runs but Abhishek Sharma took the aggressive role as he completed his fifty off just 20 balls.
The left-hander also had the rub of the green on his side as he was dropped by Adil Rashid when he was on 29. The pugnacious southpaw smashed five fours and eight sixes in his blistering innings as he scored 68 runs in boundaries.
Sharma said while talking to the official broadcasters after the game, “I just wanted to express myself. A special mention to the captain and coach. They have given us a lot of freedom. The way they talk to youngsters, it’s tremendous. It was a double-paced wicket. Our bowlers bowled well, they were really good. I thought we would chase something around 160-170, but the bowlers bowled really well. We (other batters) were always talking to each other. I enjoy from the other end when Sanju is batting. It’s about expressing myself. The plan was simple. IPL has helped me a lot.”
The youngster revealed that he has been given the attacking license by the team management and he is looking to grab his chances with both hands.
He concluded, “I haven’t seen a team environment like this. When it’s coming from the captain and coach, to play freely, it’s special. The way they (England pacers) bowled, I was ready for it. I knew they were going to bowl short.”
The second T20I between India and England will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Saturday.
