India batted first twice in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Both the times they looked to be on course to reach 400. Both the times they failed to do so, ending up with totals of 373 in the first ODI and 390 in the third ODI.
Thiruvananthapuram dished out an absolute batting beauty on Sunday for the 3rd ODI.
When India’s second wicket-Shubman Gill- fell, at the score of 226 in the 34th over, and with the kind of touch Virat Kohli in, considering the names to follow, a total in excess of 400 was really on the cards. However, despite Kohli’s surreal acceleration in the last 10 overs and his big hits, India fell 10 runs short of the 400-run mark.
The major for that could be India’s lack of flexibility. Instead of sending their power-hitter Suryakumar Yadav and, to some extent KL Rahul, India showed a lack of game awareness and stuck with their regular number 4, Shreyas Iyer.
While Suryakumar Yadav has been slamming centuries in T20Is in less than 50 balls, India sent in Iyer at number 4 in the 34th over, despite knowing what destruction Suryakumar Yadav could do in the remaining 15 overs of the game.
India shown adopt some more flexibility in their batting order
Iyer scored 38 runs off 32 balls, playing second fiddle to Kohli. It only led some to think, the way Suryakumar Yadav has outshined even Virat Kohli in some of their partnerships in T20Is, wouldn’t it have served better to the team’s cause had Suryakumar been sent ahead of Iyer and KL Rahul?
KL Rahul came in at number 5 and scored 7 runs in 6 balls. Suryakumar Yadav eventually came in at number 6 with only 2 overs remaining and was dismissed for 4 runs in 4 balls.
The Editor-in-chief in ESPNcricinfo, Sambit Bal, voiced his opinion on this decision by India to hold back Suryakumar Yadav and not promote him according to the situation.
“Some rigorous devotion to hierarchy from India. 15 overs to go, Shreyas comes in, 5 overs left, it’s Rahul. With so much batting left, why not give Surya at least 40 balls and see what he can do? Otherwise why pick him?,” Bal tweeted.
Some rigorous devotion to hierarchy from India. 15 overs to go, Shreyas comes in, 5 overs left, it’s Rahul. With so much batting left, why not give Surya at least 40 balls and see what he can do? Otherwise why pick him?
— Sambit Bal (@sambitbal) January 15, 2023
