New Delhi: India came back with a strong momentum in the T20 World Cup as they defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs in the virtual knockout match, a performance that earned him high praise from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar. After India posted its highest total in the history of the T20 World Cup, Tendulkar praised the team’s character under pressure, declaring that “must-win games reveal temperament”.
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India responded with authority after a humiliating 76-run loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad, with their net score plummeting. When asked to bat first, they played their most fearless style of cricket, posting 256/4 in 20 overs – the highest total of the tournament. It’s not about a huge individual score, it’s about collective intent. The top six batsmen each scored more than 150, which was the first time in a T20 World Cup match that the top six batsmen scored more than 20 at such a high rate.
Tendulkar wrote in a post on
Half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (55 in 30 games) and Hardik Pandya (no 50 in 23 games), as well as Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 44 in 16 games, provided impetus to India’s attack. Zimbabwe fought back bravely and won 184/6. Brian Bennett dazzled with an unbeaten 97 on 59 while Sikandar Raza contributed 31 runs. Arshdeep Singh (3/24) leads India’s bowling effort.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted the bowling could have been “a bit more clinical” but praised the batting performance as “encouraging”. He revealed that after the defeat in South Africa, the team made a conscious effort to block out the noise, taking confidence from the season-long performance review prepared by analysts.
With the decisive clash against the West Indies in Kolkata looming, India rediscovered their faith – and as Tendulkar points out, they showed their temperament when it mattered most.
