Two defeats cannot make India a bad team overnight, opener Rohit Sharma said after firing the 2007 champions to their first victory at the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
The pre-tournament favourites are at high risk of an early exit following comprehensive defeats by Pakistan and New Zealand in the Super 12 stage of the tournament.
They snapped their losing streak with a 66-run victory over Afghanistan on Wednesday and must win their last two games in Group II and hope other results go their way to make the semi-finals.
“We are a very good team. It’s just that we were not good on that particular day against Pakistan and New Zealand,” Rohit, whose 74 off 47 balls earned him the man-of-the-match award, told a news conference.
“The game we played today pretty much sums it up, that this is the kind of team we are. When we play fearlessly, this is what we get.
“We have been consistently playing quality cricket. One or two bad games do not make us bad overnight.”
Group leaders Pakistan have qualified for the semi-finals and India hope to join them by winning their matches against Scotland and Namibia handsomely and relying on Afghanistan to beat New Zealand.
Rohit said India would go for the jugular.
“To be honest, it’s very much that kind of situation for us,” the India vice-captain said.
“We know that if we lose any game from here on now, we are out of the tournament. So we have to win everything.
“When you are in that kind of situation you have to play fearlessly, not think too much about what’s happening, or what’s happening elsewhere.”
Rohit, who it set to take over as India’s Twenty20 captain when Virat Kohli relinquishes the role after the World Cup, conceded they were jaded in the first two matches.
“Our approach today was different. I wish it was in the first two games as well, but it didn’t happen,” he said.
“When you are on the road for a long time, decision-making sometimes can be a problem. That is exactly what happened in the first two games.” India play Scotland in their next match on Friday. (Reuters)
