'None of us made inappropriate gesture': Suryakumar Yadav says 'wanted to give nice statement' despite PAK's provocation

Suryakumar Yadav says 'wanted to give nice statement' despite PAK's provocation (AP Photo)

He may not have performed as he desired with the bat, but Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership was integral to India’s Asia Cup triumph – both on and off the field. Apart from the usual responsibilities like shuffling the bowling pack and maintaining morale, Surya made a statement on behalf of the nation by refusing to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart. He also had to ensure that his team kept their cool in the face of constant provocation, both from Pakistan’s player and their board president, Mohsin Naqvi.

“I think there is a difference between the two sides,” said Surya in an exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar for RevSportz. “None of us at any point have shown any inappropriate gesture, because we wanted to play this game with dignity. We just wanted to give a nice statement out there while playing a good brand of cricket, irrespective of the result – which can go either way when you are playing.

“Back from the match, when one is talking, there should be a feeling of happiness thinking that they have given all the effort possible at the ground. I keep telling my boys that let’s not get deviated from the game. Follow the situation and the game, keeping emotions aside.”

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That was easier said than done in a rollercoaster final. Pakistan appeared on course for a huge total after being sent in to bat, but collapsed from 113-1 to 146 all out. But India’s chase was anything but perfunctory, with Surya one of the wickets to fall early as they slipped to 20-3.

“I won’t lie, I was extremely tense,” said Surya of the pressure he felt watching from the dressing room. “If I was wearing a heart-rate monitor, then it would have marked 150-plus [beats a minute]. The game was going up and down and that further elevated the tension. I asked one of the coaches how they deal with the pressure sitting upfront and witnessing it all the time.

“I can walk out and walk in from the dressing room, but they can’t. To which they replied that it’s our job to keep the dugout and the dressing room relaxed, so that you guys can go out there and perform. I thought to myself: I wish I could do this too. I myself was walking constantly inside the dressing room after the 11th or 12th over.”