India’s newly appointed T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, has emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and a fearless approach following his team’s back-to-back triumphs against Sri Lanka. The Indian side secured the T20I series with a 43-run victory on Saturday, followed by a seven-wicket win on Sunday in Pallekele.
In his post-match statements, Surya was unequivocal about the team’s future strategy in the shortest format. “We spoke about this before the start of the tournament – what brand of cricket we want to play. This is the template we want to go ahead with,” said Suryakumar, who has been phenomenal as usual with the willow on both the days.
The match was interrupted by a sudden downpour, which resulted in a reduction of overs. As a consequence, the target was adjusted to 78 runs in 8 overs. This occurred after Sri Lanka experienced yet another batting collapse. They had reached a promising position of 130 for 2 in 15 overs, but their innings faltered, and they were eventually restricted to 161 for 9.
“With the weather around, anything below 160 would have been nice. Rain helped us. The way the boys batted was wonderful,” he said.
As the team approaches the final game, which holds little significance, a question was posed to Surya regarding the potential inclusion of reserve players in the lineup. “We’ll sit and decide (when asked if they’ll test their bench strength). Very happy for the boys. Showed a lot of character in tough situations.”
Ravi Bishnoi, India’s resident googly specialist in the shortest format, was pleased that his wrong ‘uns have been consistently effective. “The pitch was a little different from yesterday. It was turning a bit. Today, in the first innings it was helping the spinners. I stick to my plans.”
“I just love bowling the wrong ‘uns. It’s a good responsibility to have (bowling in the death), as it means the captain and the management trust me.”
Sri Lankan skipper Charith Asalanka expressed his disappointment with the middle-order’s performance during crucial moments of the game. This is not the first time he has voiced his frustration regarding this issue. “I am really disappointed with the way we batted at the death. We must really improve. This pitch, when the ball gets older, it gets tough to bat. As professional cricketers, we have to do better.”
“We were behind by 15-18 runs. Weather also played its part. It’s not easy to bowl eight overs with a wet outfield,” Asalanka said.
