The second ball that Suryakumar Yadav faced rose awkwardly off a length and hit him on the right thumb. The batsman was visibly in pain and the team physio had to be called in.
India were playing their T20 World Cup match against the USA at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The venue was hosting its last match in this World Cup, but the pitch was still spitting venom.
At 10-2 and with their batting royalty - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - gone, India were in a bit of trouble, chasing 111 for victory. The conditions and the situation demanded adjustments. Surya had to shun his 360-degree batting and adopt a more pragmatic approach. He did that with aplomb.
Surya scored 50 not out off 49 balls. It was a match-winning effort, on the heels of Arshdeep Singh's four-for that had restricted the US to 110-8. Still, it was a tricky chase in tough conditions. Surya's quality and experience ensured that India got over the line without any hiccups. They qualified for the Super Eights in the process.
A batsman who usually likes to deal in boundaries, Surya eschewed his ego against a bowling unit that had very little top-level international experience. His innings had only two fours and as many sixes. He picked his moments. After 16 overs, with India needing 29 off 24 balls, Surya targeted Shadley van Schalkwyk and hit a six and a four in the 17th over to bring the equation down to less than run a ball. That was game over.
The other important thing was how Surya gave Shivam Dube confidence and helped his partner grow during an unbroken 67-run fourth-wicket partnership. Dube was looking very uncomfortable to start with. He gradually started to connect the ball better. Surya's guidance played a part.
His innings was not flawless. Saurabh Netravalkar dropped a sitter off van Schalkwyk to give Surya a reprieve when he was on 22. Fortune favoured the brave. Overall, it was an excellent innings and no wonder that Rohit was effusive in the praise of his teammate after the game.
“SKY showed he has got a different game and that's what you expect from experienced players,” the India captain said at post-match presentation. “We knew it was going to be a tough task, scoring that many. Credit to us for chasing it down. SKY and Dube did well in the end.”
Surya is the world's best T20I batsman and yesterday he yet again showed why.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
