Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted that Suryakumar Yadav played a crucial cameo in the fourth T20I against Australia, which India won comprehensively by 48 runs. SKY scored a fine little cameo of 10-ball 20 with the help of two sixes, and Ashwin said it provided a much-needed impetus to the Indian innings.
The Indian captain played with an aggressive approach from the get-go, taking the attack to Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa. Ashwin noted that a cameo of 10-ball 20 is more crucial in T20I cricket than playing with a strike rate of 125.
It wasn’t the easiest of pitches on Thursday and India could only manage 167 runs on the board, which proved to be more than enough.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “10 balls for 20 from Suryakumar Yadav was extremely valuable. I always think in T20 cricket, 10 balls for 20 at a 200 strike rate is more valuable, because even today, Abhishek and Shubman had a decent partnership at the opening. So Surya came in and gave that amazing impetus and momentum. I would always think 10 balls for 20 is way more valuable than a strike rate of less than 125, 120, or 130 in a T20 game, unless, of course, you are chasing a game.”
“If you’re chasing and players are going all out and blazing away, on one side you have to play in double gear, but today, with the wicket, everyone knows that 160 is a good score. So the way Shubman paced the innings, that’s the way he had to play, and he did that. So credit where it’s due, but I am happy with Surya’s 10-balls-20, what he could do, he did,” he added.
On the other hand, Axar Patel returned with impressive figures of 2-20 in his quota of four overs. Ashwin said it is not easy to hit the big shots against Patel as he hardly gives any room to the batters and varies his pace with guile.
“One thing I noticed about Axar is that batsmen are getting done on the inside, especially right-handers. Always, if you look at left-arm spinners bowling to right-handers, when they bowl quick, the ball comes inside like arm ball. But for Axar even when he bowls slower, the ball drops and comes in slowly like that. Several times, Marsh tried to go over the covers, and Josh Inglis tried as well, but still the ball hit inside and went to the leg side.”
“So Axar’s beauty is in the changing of pace, but still not allowing the ball to go on the same line. Either the ball stops and spins a little, or the ball stops and comes inside on the same line. That makes it often a little tricky for the batsman, someone you cannot hit so easily. The only challenge the Indian spin bowling attack might have in India is where the match is being played and how small the ground is. That is the only thing that will dictate how it goes,” he added.
The fifth and final T20I of the series between Australia and India will be played at the Gabba, Brisbane, on Saturday.
