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Abhishek Sharma prepared himself "mentally and technically" for months to take on the Australian challenge, and the results showed as the young opener took the 'player of the series' award in India's hard-fought 2-1 triumph Down Under. Having impressed with his aggressive batting at the top, the 24-year-old said he had for long looked forward to testing himself on the bouncy Australian pitches and against high-quality pace attack. He ended with 163 runs in five outings even as two matches were rained out. "I have been waiting for this tournament. When I got to know we're going to Australia for the T20Is, I was very excited," Abhishek said after India sealed the rain-affected series 2-1 on Saturday. "Throughout my career, I've seen that Australia is very batting-friendly, and I wanted to prepare myself for these kinds of bowlers and conditions." The left-hander said his preparation focused on facing world-class fast bowlers and adapting his game to Australian surfaces. "If you want to play good cricket and do well for your team, you have to face world-class bowlers. I was practicing for these kinds of bowlers because that's how you improve as a player," he said, when asked if Josh Hazlewood's absence in the last three T20Is made it a bit easy for the India players. Abhishek Lauds Captain, Coach For Role ClarityHe was also asked about his ultra-aggressive approach and Abhishek credited the Indian team management for giving him the freedom to play his natural game. "The captain and coach have given me the clarity and confidence to just go and express myself. As a batter, when you're scoring 20s and 30s, you know you can go longer, but the clarity to set the momentum for the team has really helped me," he said. The Punjab youngster said the series had strengthened his resolve to push for a T20 World Cup berth next year. "It will be a dream come true if I get to play the World Cup. As a kid, I always dreamt of winning it for India. I will make sure I'm ready for that tournament," he said. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Sports, Cricket and around the world.
