The Indian think tank has created a new opening at No. 6 where he may continue with his T20 batting approach in response to his failure to hold down the No. 4 place.
The Indian Express has learned that Suryakumar Yadav, who only averages 6 at No. 4, has now been assigned a new position at No. 6. India had hoped that Suryakumar Yadav would hold the position because it was a problem for them in the most recent ODI world cup. However, since that hasn’t happened, they have adjusted their strategy. They are hoping that Suryakumar can play his aggressive T20 style at No. 6 and perform at his peak when he has less overs available. He has played in 4 games at No. 6 and has an average strike rate of 107.35.
The team management forced him to bat at number four in the first ODI (19 runs), then at number six in the second ODI (24 runs). According to reports, after much deliberation in the Caribbean, the new selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar, coach Rahul Dravid, and captain Rohit Sharma all agreed that Yadav’s playing style should be utilised in death overs.
The team management thinks that Suryakumar is one of the few cricketers in the world who can play everywhere and against both pace and spin.
Only he can even dare to use certain pockets of the field. He can create shots with those nimble wrists of his to throw off the rhythm of the bowlers. In T20 cricket, he has a track record of winning matches, and he doesn’t wait to start applying pressure to the bowling side. But in ODIs, he is having trouble with this strategy. Suryakumar received a lengthy run in the ODIs due to the injuries to Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, but he only averages 23.80 with a strike rate of 100.42 from 25 games.
However, in the hopes that the gifted batsman can gel, the team management is now seeking for a particular position for Suryakumar moving forward. When Suryakumar is playing well, he has won every game by hitting the winning run in the shortest format. India is really interested in his success in the ODIs since he can be the deciding element in the second power play that ends in the middle overs. The think tank feels that moving him down the order will improve the Indian batting order.
As the World Cup approaches and Rahul and Iyer’s match fitness is still unknown, Suryakumar now has the opportunity to firmly establish his spot in the 50 overs team. Coach Dravid of the Indian team has backed the 32-year-old batsman despite his inability to capitalise on his opportunities by saying that he is still learning about ODI cricket.
After India’s six-wicket loss to West Indies in the second ODI, Dravid told reporters, “Unfortunately, I think he [Suryakumar] will be the first one to address that his ODI numbers probably have not been up to his high standards that he has set in the T20, but he is also learning about ODI cricket.” “Surya is an extremely good player, in my opinion. There is no question in my mind. His performances, particularly in T20 cricket and even in domestic cricket, have demonstrated that.
Although Yadav’s runless streak isn’t the biggest concern, there is a pattern to his dismissals. He has struggled against deliveries nibbling back in addition to wasting good starts. Additionally, he has a history of making aggressive deliveries. also playing too close to the body with the cut to the balls. These strokes carry considerable risk, particularly in a format where the balance between the bat and the ball is still somewhat present. Suryakumar is learning how to bat through the middle overs, according to Dravid.
He stated, “He has played a lot of competitive T20 cricket before he made his debut for India. He has played a lot of T20 cricket through the IPL. He has probably not played all that much competitive one-day cricket. You know this because one-day cricket does not have an IPL. I believe he is also picking up new skills, such as how to bat through middle innings. We want to offer him as many opportunities as we can since he is talented. Now that he has those possibilities, it is really up to him to seize them and make use of them, but given the type of organisation we have, we try to give people as many chances as we can,” he continued.
“I believe Hardik enjoys batting in the top order; is it possible to place him at No. 4 and Surya at No. 6? This is the case because he is very, very good at turning the game on its head when given 15 to 18 overs. He can hit boundaries at will and make fun of the captain regardless of whether there are five or four fielders inside the circle. Surya is at his most poisonous when given fewer overs—14 to 18 overs—said Karthik to Cricbuzz. “Suryakumar is a non-negotiable in ODIs. Reminding ourselves of Surya’s brilliance is where we need to be with him. I like to check to see whether they fit.To bring out the best in Surya, we need to put him in a fresh setting, Karthik had remarked.
The selection committee and team management opted not to choose any ODI players for the Ireland Tour, which will now be led by Jasprit Bumrah, who are also candidates for the Asia Cup and World Cup. The team administration wants a healthy Indian team to be on hand for the World Cup at home.
On Tuesday, the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad will host the third and final One-Day International of the series. Five T20 matches between the sides are also planned, beginning on Friday.
