India take two wickets on two balls immediately after Rohit Sharma takes charge of the team during 4th T20I

Rohit Sharma donned the captain’s hat towards the final moments of the fourth T20I between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. The match was heading towards a thrilling finish when skipper Virat Kohli walked off the field due to a minor injury in his foot. In his absence, Rohit was leading the side from the 17th over of England’s innings.

The visitors were in a strong position at that moment. Chasing 186 to win the series, England were on 140 for 4 at the end of 16 overs with Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan in the middle. Stokes was in stunning form and was taking India bowlers to the cleaners while Morgan had come out to bat in the 15th over. With two big hitters in the middle and the dew making things tough for the bowlers, Rohit had his task cut out as a captain.

But Rohit knows how to deal with pressure and he showed it once again on Friday. Under his captaincy, Team India took charge of the proceedings quickly. On the very first ball, after Rohit donned the captain’s hat, India tasted success when Shardul Thakur dismissed the dangerous Stokes. Before that dismissal, Rohit was seen giving some advice to the pacer and was also seen changing the field.

His advice and the field placement paid off immediately as India managed to get rid of Stokes. On the very following delivery, Shardul struck once again to remove Morgan and leave England reeling at 140 for 6.

Here is a clip of the moment

Rohit Sharma’s advice

Speaking at the end of the game, Shardul Thakur had revealed the advice he received from Rohit Sharma that helped him win the game for the team. Shardul picked up three crucial wickets in the game and also defended 23 runs in the final over as India beat England by eight runs to draw level in the five-match T20I series.

“Rohit said just back your instincts, think, take your time. He mentioned that one side of the ground is bigger and the other is short so plan your bowling and execute your balls [accordingly],” said Shardul Thakur in the post-match presentation.