Rohit bhai asked me to back my ability and helped me calm down - Shivam Dube

India may have lost the second Twenty20 International but Shivam Dube’s success with the bat after being promoted to number three ahead of Virat Kohli was an interesting as well as refreshing change. This has the potential to open up a lot of options for the team-management in the shortest format of the game. After losing KL Rahul early, the Men in Blue decide to try out the youngster at the top of the order and it worked wonders.

Two reasons might have prompted the team management to promote the all-rounder ahead of Kohli. Firstly, the fact that the top-4 are all right-handers followed by a set of southpaws in Dube, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, and promoting Dube at No.3, meant India had a left-right combination going. Secondly, the right-handers were finding it difficult to get going against the left-armers.

The southpaw, who scored a whirlwind 54 off 30 balls, admitted that he was ‘nervous’ while coming into bat and said that Rohit Sharma‘s advice of playing his natural game, really helped him settle him into his innings. “I got the opportunity to bat at number three which was a big deal for me. There was some pressure. Rohit bhai asked me to back my ability and helped me calm down.

“I got the momentum after hitting a six and then I was playing my natural game. I always back my ability to clear any ground and it is my strength. I think this ground is big but I have the capability of clearing any ground. I think that’s my strength and I always go like that only,” Dube was quoted as saying by CricketNext.

Shivam Dube laments poor fielding in the 2nd T20I

One of the major reasons why India lost the second game was what Virat Kohli termed as ‘under-par’ fielding, something which Shivam Dube also admitted. However, the all-rounder was confident that the team will bounce back in the series decider in Mumbai.

“The dropped chances were crucial. It is part of the game. They also dropped some. We had a good total today but we failed to grab our chances. We have a good team and back ourselves to win the series,” Dube further added.

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