17 September,2023 08:39 PM IST | Colombo | mid-day online correspondent
Rohit Sharma-led India crowned Asia Cup 2023 champions (Pic: AFP)
Skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday hailed his team for an emphatic performance in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka, and added that the effort will be "cherished for a very long time".
Mohammed Siraj bowled one of the most devastating spells by an Indian fast bowler, taking six for 21, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50. The visitors knocked off the runs in 6.1 overs without losing any wicket.
"It was a great performance, especially to come and play like that in a final. Shows the mentality of the team. Very clinical. A performance like that will be cherished for a very long time," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
However the skipper was astonished to see the kind of movement that his bowlers, especially Siraj, got off the surface.
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"Our seamers are actually working really hard for many years, so it's pleasing for the side to see them get rewarded like that. I never thought the ball was going to be doing that much," the skipper said.
The conditions must have been helpful but it also takes high level of skill to put up a performance like that in a summit clash.
"Again, it comes back to the skill-set of individuals. That's very rare, you don't see many guys (like Siraj), who can move it in the air and off the pitch. And the other guys also who took part at various stages, they all played their part."
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With three match series against Australia and two more warm-up games before the World Cup opener, Rohit feels that the team is moving in the right direction.
"We took all we can from this series, quite pleasing to move in this direction with this kind of confidence."
Having ticked most boxes that they wanted to tick, Rohit looked back at the team's run over the past couple of weeks.
"The first game against Pakistan under pressure, four down, how Hardik (Pandya) and (Ishan) Kishan batted in that pressure got us to that total. And then KL and Virat getting that hundred was brilliant to see."
"Also Gill, he's in terrific form, he's a batting freak. He likes to keep batting and it's something that works for our team. A lot of the guys at various stages bailed the team out in pressure situations," the skipper added.
(With agency inputs)
