Team India batsman Suryakumar Yadav expressed his puzzlement regarding his inability to perform in ODIs, despite his excellent record in T20Is. After much reflection, he realized he was rushing things in the ODI format.
Facing pressure to demonstrate his value in the ODI squad due to a series of low scores, Suryakumar found success in the first ODI against Australia in Mohali on Friday, September 22, where he scored a half-century, his first in the format since February 2022, and only the third of his ODI career.
Suryakumar Yadav formed an important 80-run partnership for the fifth wicket with captain KL Rahul (58* off 63), which proved to be crucial as India faced a challenging situation in their chase. This partnership was particularly significant because India had gone from 142/0 to 185/4 while pursuing a target of 277.
Notably, Suryakumar’s innings was characterized by his well-executed straight drives, and he avoided attempting the sweep shot, which, although it had been a source of runs for him, had also led to his dismissals in the ODI format.
In a post-match interview following India’s five-wicket victory over Australia, Suryakumar Yadav expressed his thoughts on his noteworthy innings and mentioned:
“I was wondering what was happening. The color of the ball is the same. The teams are the same. The bowlers are the same. I think I was hurrying a bit. I thought, let’s take a little more time, calm myself, take it slowly, and try to bat deep.”
The 33-year-old acknowledged that he intentionally refrained from attempting the sweep shot. Suryakumar mentioned:
“I think it’s the first time I haven’t played a sweep. This has come from the Chandu Pandit school of arts (on his straight drives). Really enjoyed watching the openers bat.”
In his composed innings, the Indian middle-order batsman hit five boundaries and a six, with several of those boundaries occurring along the ground in a manner not typically associated with his play.
“I am definitely loving my new role” – Suryakumar Yadav discussed his role as an ODI finisher
Suryakumar Yadav occupies the significant No. 6 spot in ODIs, where his role is to be a finisher. He came very close to securing a win for the team on Friday but fell just a few runs short of victory.
Though he expressed his desire to steer the team to victory, the batsman eventually stated:
“That was what I was dreaming of when I started playing this format – trying to bat till the end as much as possible and finish the game for the team. I couldn’t do that today, but I am definitely loving my new role. Want to try and bat the same way, bat deep, try and win games for India.”
Across 28 ODIs, Suryakumar has accumulated 587 runs with an average of 25.52 and a strike rate of 100.
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