Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India put up another commanding all-round performance, thrashing Namibia by 93 runs in their T20 World Cup encounter on Thursday to register their second consecutive victory of the tournament. Powered by aggressive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, the defending champions piled up a daunting 209/9 before bowling Namibia out for 116 in 18.2 overs.After the match, Pandya reflected on his form and preparation, saying, “Yeah, definitely, just enjoying the sport. Had a good couple of months to prepare and, you know, get the rhythm and, you know, get the body right. Thus far everything is going well.” Highlighting how much his batting means to him, he added, “Yes, I’ve always taken pride in my batting as an all-rounder. So whenever I get an opportunity, I make sure that both the skills are managed rightly… batting is always close to my heart. And when that comes, it’s a, you know, if you add the more sugar to the cake.”
Pandya also elaborated on the effort that goes into staying in peak physical condition. “Body has been fantastic. I’ve always mentioned it takes a lot of hard work, which I cherish. But, you know, playing for the country has always been a pride, always been my number priority,” he said. “A lot of work goes behind the scene where I’m kind of out and kind of go into army, army sort of a camp where I do morning, evening sessions… make sure I eat well, make sure I sleep well, make sure my habits are good.”Put in to bat, India began in explosive fashion, with Kishan in particularly commanding form. The left-hander went on the attack from the outset, hammering 61 off just 24 balls and reaching his half-century in only 20 deliveries as India surged past 100 within the first seven overs.Pandya then anchored the middle phase with authority, striking a polished 52 off 28 balls and adding a vital 81-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Shivam Dube (23 off 16), allowing India to keep the scoreboard ticking despite periodic setbacks.Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus stood out with the ball, employing smart variations to return career-best figures of 4/20. His spell helped stem the flow late in the innings as India lost five wickets for just four runs, but the target remained well beyond Namibia’s reach.Chasing 210, Namibia failed to match the required tempo, even though a few batters showed promise at the start. Varun Chakravarthy was exceptional with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 3/7 from two overs.India had opened their campaign with a win over the USA, followed it up with this emphatic victory against Namibia, and will now turn their attention to a high-voltage clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo.
