Indian fans were infuriated after skipper Rohit Sharma apparently turned his back on already under-fire pacer Arshdeep Singh during the heated Dubai match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup.
Tuesday’s fixture was a do-or-die match for India as, after this defeat, their hopes of reaching the finals rely on several ifs and buts.
Things got extremely tense when the pacer had to deal with Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa needing only seven runs off six balls.
The fast bowler conceded five runs in four balls. But the defeat finally came when Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep himself missed the stumps on both ends, giving the island nation two byes.The skipper — who was frequently conversing with the bowlers during the match — was seen turning his back on the young pacer when he tried suggesting something in the final over.
This was deja vu all over for Arshdeep as he was slammed just days before for dropping a simple catch against Pakistan, which also led to the Men In Green winning a must-win match.
Although fans criticised him earlier, they came out in support of him this time and took a swipe at the skipper.But Rohit had earlier defended the pacer when he was being crucified.
“Honestly, guys here don’t look too much into social media these days. We don’t look much into a few losses or a dropped catch. He (Arshdeep) was himself disappointed because it was a catch that could’ve been taken.”
India’s former skipper Virat Kohli had also voiced support for Arshdeep.
“Anyone can make a mistake. The situation was tight. It was a high-pressure game, and mistakes can happen,” the former Indian skipper told journalists.
Any such support for Arshdeep this time around is yet to be seen..