India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday rejected former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's accusation that his team had "worked on the ball" to generate reverse swing in the T20 World Cup Super 8s match against Australia. (More Cricket News)
India defeated 2021 T20 World Cup champions Australia by 24 runs in Gros Islet on Monday to set up a semifinal clash against England with left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh grabbing three wickets to halt the Kangaroos' charge in the chase of 205.
Speaking to a Pakistani news channel, Inzamam accused Arshdeep and the Indian side of working on the ball, which helped the lanky pacer generate reverse swing in his second spell.
"When Arshdeep was bowling the 15th over, it was reverse swinging. Is that too early with the new ball? This means the ball was ready by the 12th-13th over, it was capable of reversing. It was reverse-swinging in the 15th. Umpires need to keep their eyes open," Inzamam told the news channel.
Rohit was asked about Inzamam's comment in the pre-match media interaction here and he dismissed it, advising the former batter to have an open mind.
"What should I say now about this? You are playing in such hot sun, the wicket is so dry, the ball reverses automatically. It's happening for all the teams, not only ours. All the teams are reverse swinging. Sometimes, it's important to open your mind.
"It's important to understand what conditions you're playing in. The match is not taking place in England or Australia," Rohit said, when asked to respond to Inzamam's observation.
India scored 205 batting first and then restricted Australia to 181/7.
Australia were in the game and required 81 runs in eight overs with eight wickets in hand. But they lost the plot during Arshdeep's second spell, which fetched him two wickets in the 16th and 18th over.
Inzamam further stated that, "If Pakistan bowlers did this, there would have been hue and cry. We know how to reverse it really well. If Arshdeep can reverse it in the 15th, there's been some serious work done on the ball.
"If Bumrah does it (you can understand), his action is like that. When others with a specific action or speed do it, it means the ball has been prepared in a special way."
