Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra praised Suryakumar Yadav for basically toying with the bowlers in the opening T20I against Australia. He saw that the Indian captain’s one unconventional stroke causes the bowlers to change their strategy and fall into his trap.
The first Twenty20 International between India and Australia in Canberra on Wednesday, October 29, did not produce a result. Suryakumar Yadav hit an unbeaten 39 off 24 deliveries before rain halted play with the visitors on 97/1 after 9.4 overs.
During a conversation on Star Sports, Chopra was asked why Suryakumar scored the majority of his runs between midwicket and fine leg.
“When the runs come in that area, the story becomes easy. To be fair, the kind of pitch this was or the Australian pitches will be, this shot becomes more productive. He has to hit one shot, and then the bowler goes off plan, that where should he bowl next, that he has to do something else, and then you walk into a trap where Suryakumar Yadav hits you a lot,” he responded.
Chopra lauded the Indian skipper for his consistency while playing unconventional shots, pointing out that he has unique skills.
“The expectation is that this is just the start. The power he generates while taking the bat upwards from below is a rare skill. He has an incredible quality. You are praiseworthy if you can consistently score runs despite playing risky shots, and that’s why he has reigned in the T20 format for a long time,” Chopra noted.
Suryakumar Yadav scored three fours and two sixes during his undefeated 39-run innings. He blasted Josh Hazlewood for a six on the fourth ball he faced before hitting Nathan Ellis for a maximum on the penultimate ball of the game.
Aakash Chopra praises Suryakumar Yadav’s return to form in 1st T20I vs Australia
In the same conversation, Aakash Chopra was asked about the significance of Suryakumar Yadav’s knock, given his dismal performance in T20Is this season.
“He needed to score runs. You are the captain of a winning team and you have a lot of experience and pedigree as well, so there weren’t any question marks as such, but there are murmurs at times. When you go to the ground with a bat in hand, you are a batter first and a captain later.”
Aakash Chopra
Suryakumar’s performance on Wednesday, according to the cricketer-turned-commentator, will serve him well as a captain.
“He has the unique skill of forcing the bowlers to bowl where he wants. However, scoring runs was imperative because when a captain scores runs, his decision-making ability remains at the top. Then you don’t think about anything else and can do things instinctively. It was important for the captain to be seen in his Surya avatar.”
Aakash Chopra
Suryakumar Yadav joined Shubman Gill in the middle following Abhishek Sharma’s (19 off 14) wicket. The duo put up an unbroken 62-run second-wicket partnership in 5.5 overs, with the Indian vice-captain unbeaten on 37 off 20 balls.
