Kamal Ghorui
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav for bringing sharp match awareness into India’s game after their commanding 61-run victory over Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo.Gavaskar underlined how Suryakumar stepped up in contrasting pressure situations. He recalled the game against USA, where India were reeling at 77 for 6 before Surya guided them out of trouble. Against Pakistan, he walked in at 88/2 and anchored the innings through to the 19th over, compiling 32 from 29 balls with three boundaries as India posted 175/7 in 20 overs to seal a Super 8 berth.
“You have to play according to the situation, and that is what Captain Suryakumar Yadav has done. He has led from the front. In the match against the USA, when India were in trouble at 77 for 6, Surya bailed the team out and here against Pakistan, when he came out to bat, India were at 88-2, and then he batted till the 19th over, scoring 32 runs. Yes, he didn’t bat at a high strike rate, but he ensured that the wickets didn’t fall, keeping hold of one end.““So, the rest of the team understands that in T20 cricket, you don’t want dot balls. You want to reduce them, but you also don’t want to throw your wicket away trying to hit sixes. Being aware of the match situation, ground conditions, and even which way the wind is blowing is important, and Suryakumar Yadav has brought that awareness into this Indian team,” Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar.The win extended India’s dominance over Pakistan in T20 World Cup contests to 8-1.After opting to bowl first, Pakistan struck early when Abhishek fell for a duck. Ishan’s explosive 77 and Tilak’s composed 25 steadied the innings, but India slipped to 126/4 with Hardik Pandya departing for nought. Suryakumar then combined with Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh to ensure a strong finish despite testing conditions. Saim Ayub’s 3/25 was the standout bowling effort for Pakistan.Pakistan’s reply never gathered momentum. Early breakthroughs from Hardik, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel reduced them to 34/4. Usman Khan fought with 44 off 34 balls, striking six fours and a six, but India dismissed Pakistan for 114 in 18 overs.Axar returned 2/29, while Hardik (2/16), Bumrah (2/17) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/17) shared the wickets.India sit comfortably atop Group A with three wins from three, Pakistan are third with two wins and a defeat, and USA occupy second place with two victories and two losses.
