Despite misfiring in the One Day International format Suryakumar Yadav has been presented with yet another opportunity in the ODI series against Australia to prove his batting prowess. Notably, India and Australia are set to clash against each other in the three-match ODI series which will commence from September 22.
The Numero Uno in T20Is, Surya, doesn't boast of a good track record ODIs. Suryakumar couldn't make the most of the chance in the just-concluded Asia Cup. In the Super Four match against Bangladesh, Surya could only score 26 runs off 34 balls before being dismissed by skipper Shakib Al Hasan and eventually India lost the match.
Talking about Surya’s ODI track record, the T20I's explosive batter is yet to make a mark in the format. Surya has so far played 27 ODI matches and has managed to amass just 537 runs riding on two fifties with an unimpressive average of 24.41.
Meanwhile right ahead of the ODI series opener against Australia, India's head coach Rahul Dravid reposed faith in Suryakumar Yadav and said the star batter will turn it around in the ODIs. Dravid also revealed that Suryakumar will be getting opportunity in the first two ODIs versus the mighty Australians.
“He does not need to worry about the 27th. Surya is in the World Cup team. We completely back him. We back him because he has a certain quality and an ability that we have seen. We have seen it in T20Is. We know an impact that he can make at No.6. He can change the course of the game. There has been total clarity that we are behind him. Hopefully, he can turn it around in these three games. First couple certainly. It can help him evolve in this journey as an ODI batter,” Dravid said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
Surya also made headlines when he was included in India's tentative 15-player roster for the ODI World Cup. The Indian cricket administration's decision underscores their belief in his raw skill and determination. Yet, will Suryakumar Yadav be able to live up to these expectations?
The upcoming series against Australia provides an ideal platform for Suryakumar to quell skeptics and secure his position in the ODI lineup. Given that several primary players are taking a break for the initial two ODIs, it's a pivotal moment for Surya to flaunt his capabilities. He's on the brink of proving he's fit for the most prestigious cricket event – the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Earlier this year, the Mumbai Indians (MI) luminary had an unimpressive ODI series against the same team, marking three consecutive golden ducks. Yet, cricket is about resurgence, and Surya has consistently shown resilience in the face of adversity. His natural flair for adapting and his assertive gameplay make him a formidable opponent.
Meanwhile Dravid also talked about Ishan Kishan's batting order in the Australia series with the bigwigs out of action for couple of matches.
“I would not want to put the playing 11 out there. The idea is to give them game time. We can't make everyone bat in the exact same position. Ideally, we would be looking to bat people in the position where they can. Ishan has been picked for both the roles that he can do. He can bat in the middle and in the top. He gives us the flexibility,” Dravid said.
“It is a bit of both. We want to win the series. We want to play good cricket in the series. It gives us the opportunity that there are some players in the team who need game time. There are players who are coming off injuries and they need game time. These games are nice. We need to give some players a break and rotate them in order to be fresh. Some of the boys are not playing the first two games. We will rotate the fast bowlers,” Dravid further said.
On being asked about injury riddles since Asia Cup Dravid said,"Asia Cup team we had, we had planned that we have to be realistic. When I started, T20 World Cup and ICC WTC was the main focus. One-day Cricket, you focus later. In the first year, the teams that we played, the main guys did not play. We thought at that time T20I and Test cricket was the priority. There has not been much of ODI cricket. In the Asia Cup, there were injuries but it was almost the full team. For the big tournaments, the hope is that all the players are available.”
India's squad for first two ODI matches against Australia: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
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