Recalling the T20 World Cup 2024 clash between them, Rohit said the pre-match environment was like a festival, starting from their hotel and extending to the stadium. India won the match by six runs in a low-scoring thriller as Jasprit Bumrah collected the figures of 3-14 to bag the Player of the Match accolade.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Before the India vs Pakistan match, we were told there was a threat - something was going on. So, two days before the game, we weren\u2019t allowed to step out of the hotel. The atmosphere started building from there. We were ordering food in, and the hotel was so packed you could barely walk. Fans, media - everyone was there. That\u2019s when you realise this isn\u2019t just another match - something special is about to happen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"As soon as we got near the stadium, it already felt like a celebration - Indian fans, Pakistani fans, all dancing and enjoying themselves. I\u2019ve played so many India\u2013Pakistan games now - I\u2019ve lost count - but that pre-match energy, that feeling\u2026 It\u2019s always something else. Nothing compares to it,\" Rohit said on JioHotstar\u2019s special 'Champions Waali Feeling Phir Se'.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the match, India suffered early blows in Virat Kohli (4), Rohit (13) and Axar Patel (20) but Rishabh Pant played a decisive knock of 42 off 31 balls including six fours to take the side to a respectable total of 119 as no other batter in the middle order was able to reach double figures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Lauding Pant's efforts, Rohit said the wicketkeeper-batter played up to his potential and kept them alive on the challenging surface.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe just wanted Rishabh to be Rishabh - do all the things he does best, unsettle the bowlers, play freely. And he did that perfectly. His innings was around 42, and on that pitch, that\u2019s as good as scoring 70. It was a very challenging surface - something was always happening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"The par score there was probably 130 or 140. We ended up with 119. Our plan wasn\u2019t to go for 200 - we were aiming for 140. But of course, we lost wickets along the way. And that\u2019s when Rishabh played that crucial knock of 40-plus, which really held things together. Eventually, we got 119 - and I actually felt it could still be a good score. Maybe 10\u201315 runs short, but I knew that if we got 2\u20133 early wickets with the new ball, that 119 would start to feel like 160,\" Rohit said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The opening batter went on to heap praise on the pace duo of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh for successfully defending the total and also highlighting their worth in the shortest format of the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWith Bumrah, you\u2019ve got to be proactive in how you use him. He\u2019s a wicket-taker, and at the same time, he\u2019s not going to leak runs. So, how do you balance that, especially when the opposition is chasing at a run-a-ball? Arshdeep has been phenomenal too. Over the last two years, there\u2019s a reason he\u2019s become India\u2019s highest wicket-taker in T20Is \u2014 he\u2019s a really smart bowler.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The opening batter went on to heap praise on the pace duo of Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh for successfully defending the total and also highlighting their worth in the shortest format of the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> LIVE Cricket Score<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n