Cricket news: Abhishek Sharma has emerged as one of the brightest young stars in Indian cricket. The aggressive left-handed batsman has impressed many with his attacking style, consistently looking to score quickly from the outset and maintaining an aggressive approach at the crease. However, during the recently concluded India-Australia T20 series, Australia devised a clear strategy against him, which allowed them to successfully curb his natural game to some extent.
Australia Cracks the Code on Abhishek’s Approach
Abhishek’s signature move is typically to step down the pitch on the very first ball he faces to hit a shot and immediately put pressure on the bowler. Australian bowlers, having analyzed his game, managed to find a counter to this aggressive move. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan observed this recognizable pattern and issued a warning to Abhishek Sharma, suggesting that this highly identifiable technique could become a liability in major tournaments.
Pathan’s Advice
Irfan Pathan stressed the need for a more calculated approach: “Abhishek plays fearless cricket, which is a great thing. But these are mostly bilateral series, not the World Cup. In global tournaments, teams come with good preparation. If he tries to step out and hit every single ball, teams will develop a concrete strategy against him. Therefore, Abhishek has to be selective in his aggression.” Pathan’s point highlights the difference between casual bilateral encounters and high-stakes international tournaments where opponent analysis is much more rigorous.
Team Management and Yuvraj Singh’s Role
Pathan believes the issue is likely already on the radar of the support staff. He further commented that the team management and his coach, Yuvraj Singh (UV), must surely be addressing this aspect of his game. “I will speak to UV about this,” Pathan said. He added that Abhishek himself must realize that not every single bowler can be attacked by stepping out on the first ball. Pathan emphasized that while the high-risk, aggressive cricket should continue, it needs a layer of strategic thinking and rationality.
Player of the Series Performance
Despite the tactical challenge posed by Australia, Abhishek Sharma was rightly named the Player of the Series for his consistent performance, having scored a total of 163 runs. Pathan concluded that while high-risk cricket is beneficial, it must be balanced: “He should continue to play high-risk cricket, but this fearlessness must also be rational.” His success in the series underscores his immense talent, but the feedback from Pathan serves as a crucial piece of advice for him to evolve his game for upcoming global challenges.