Kamal Ghorui
England captain Harry Brook admitted he was surprised by the way Nepal’s batters attacked senior leg-spinner Adil Rashid during their T20 World Cup opener on Sunday. The former champions were pushed to the limit before eventually sealing a narrow four-run victory after posting a challenging target of 185.
“It wasn’t easy at all, thankfully got over the line. They played extremely well and not many teams take Adil Rashid like they did. I thought we were in a very good position to defend that. I wish them all the best for the rest of the competition,” Brook said at the post-match presentation ceremony. England’s total of 184 for seven was built around aggressive half-centuries from Jacob Bethell and Brook, along with a late burst from Will Jacks, whose 39 came off just 18 balls. “Beth played outstanding, the way he was rocking back and hitting the spinners into the stands was great. I just said we put 2-3 wickets and it all changes. We have so many options. I don’t think Sam (Curran) bowled until a lot later. “Rashid got a tap there and it’s not often that he doesn’t bowl four overs. I am sure he will bounce back. He knew exactly what he was going to bowl,” Brook added. Nepal skipper Rohit Paudel said his side arrived at the tournament with the intention of competing strongly and challenging top teams, something reflected in their performance against England. “I think the boys gave it all. I am very proud of them. We had the belief when we came to this World Cup. We didn’t come here just to participate. The result didn’t go our way but effort wise we gave 100% in every department. Last over Sam Curran bowled really well. We will improve from there.” Rohit said. Discussing the chase, he added, “We were calculating. We wanted to wickets in hands with 10 runs per over in the last few overs. It wasn’t a plan to take on Adil Rashid and it just happened. We will not take any team lightly. “We as a team need to be at our 100%. They are very passionate. The whole of Kathmandu, Nepal came here to support us. I think all of Nepal will be proud of us.” Man of the Match Will Jacks also praised Nepal’s effort after they pushed England deep into the final stages of the contest. “I think full credit to Nepal. They were absolutely brilliant. We saw that this was tricky when we batted, but they played against us really very well and they really took us close there,” Jacks said. Speaking about his own batting, he added, “It’s nice to spend some time in the middle (on his batting). I’ve been a bit short over the last month or so and by keeping it simple, the guys in the middle have described to me what it’s like out there, so just let the ball come, nice and easy to do it.” On Nepal’s decision-making late in the innings, particularly around the final over that cost 21 runs, Jacks said, “I saw they were debating. I think the helmet ran out and then ran off, so obviously in hindsight they might have done that, but all in all they were tactically very good. “They’ve obviously pushed us right to the edge there. I think if the surfaces are going to continue to behave like that, then that’s going to be crucial going forward.” Jacks also stressed that teams will need to adjust quickly to pitch conditions in the upcoming matches, saying adaptability will play a crucial role as the tournament progresses.
