Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu hailed Suryakumar Yadav after the Men in Blue defeated the USA by seven wickets at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Wednesday. While chasing 111 against the hosts, India found themselves in trouble at 39-3 after losing their openers – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – cheaply, and then Rishabh Pant was also dismissed after scoring 18.
However, SKY was able to steady the ship along with Shivam Dube, adding 72 runs with the left-hander to take the team through. The right-hander scored an unbeaten knock of 50 runs off 49 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes. Dube also scored a crucial knock of 31 runs off 35 balls as India qualified for the Super 8 stage.
“You cannot lose the match when Suryakumar Yadav plays. If he scores more than 50, invariably you will win the match. Why? Because of the pace at which he scores. That’s why I say the match could have changed to an extent if his catch had been taken,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports.
SKY also had the rub of the green on his side as he dropped by Saurabh Netravalkar when he was on 22.
“A catch went to third man when he was batting on 20 or 22 and you can see how quickly he went from 22 to 52. In eight balls, he hit a six over cover, then another six and after that a four. It’s a blitzkrieg when he is batting. The bowler is helpless and hapless when he starts hitting,” Sidhu observed.
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube for their crucial alliance which helped India seal a victory.
“When Surya shines, his brightness is better than most, and who can stand in front of Surya? Shivam Dube also showed his colors along with him today. It was very nice to see the way they batted. That partnership set the tone not only for this match but for the upcoming matches as well about what this batting can do,” he said.
“The partnership came at a time when it was most required. They didn’t get bogged down. They focused on singles and doubles, which was the right approach to drive the game here. Whenever they got a chance in between, they hit fours and sixes. This partnership calmed the little commotion in the dressing room,” Harbhajan stated.
India will next take on Canada at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida on Saturday.
