Abhishek managed just 89, including a hat-trick of ducks, in his previous seven innings at a strike-rate of 130.88 in this World Cup. Gambhir, the head coach, ignored calls to drop Abhishek for his "headless" batting and the batter repaid his faith in the most demanding moment. Abhishek had practised solely against the spinners, with Gambhir stressing on playing inside-out shots to counter his failures against the spinners, especially off-spin. While Kohli's 76 in Bridgetown laid the foundation for India's total, Abhishek, on Sunday, provided the initial impetus to India's total of 255/5. Samson's 105-run stand off 48 balls with Ishan Kishan proved to be the cornerstone of the Indian innings.

Source: The Telegraph March 09, 2026 02:20 UTC