Since Suryakumar Yadav has taken over the captaincy, India has hardly taken a wrong step, but his own form has dipped. The year gone by has not really been a productive one for the world's best T20I batsmen. He managed to score 429 runs in innings with an average of 26.81
Suryakumar Yadav (Pic: File Pic)
Team India captain Suryakumar Yadav will be expected to score runs ahead of the third T20I match against England. In the concluded two games, the Indian skipper departed on low scores.
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Since Suryakumar Yadav has taken over the captaincy, India has hardly taken a wrong step, but his own form has dipped. The year gone by has not really been a productive one for the world's best T20I batsmen. He managed to score 429 runs in innings with an average of 26.81.
Suryakumar Yadav averaged close to 35 in 2021, his first year in international cricket, before raising it to 45 plus in the following two years.
The Mumbai-based batsman is yet to garner runs in the ongoing five-match T20I series against England.
Though he is India's very own 'Mr 360', Suryakumar is at his finest when he is toying with the opposition attack with runs behind the wicket.
He perished while attempting his signature pickup shot of a slower ball in the series opener before playing one onto his stump in the last game.
Tilak Varma's individual brilliance got India over the line in Chennai but besides Suryakumar's lack of runs, Sanju Samson's short ball shortcomings were highlighted.
Samson, who had a memorable series in South Africa, has been dismissed to the short ball from Jofra Archer twice in the series.
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It is something that he would look to correct on a Rajkot pitch. Though Archer and Mark Wood have troubled the Indian batsmen with their fierce pace, the only batsman who looked comfortable against the speed was Tilak Varma.
The southpaw's pick-up shot off Archer at Chepauk spoke a lot about his class.
With Rinku Singh and Nitish Reddy unavailable due to injuries, there is a possibility of either Shivam Dube or Ramandeep Singh getting a game.
Dube, who was tasked with smashing the spinners in the middle overs during the T20 World Cup, could come in handy against the leg-spin of Adil Rashid.
Arshdeep Singh has been the lone specialist pacer in the playing eleven thus far with Hardik Pandya providing support. The team management is likely to keep that combination.
India, who prefer to play with eight batters, have been relying on Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy to do the job in the middle overs and have used as many as five spin options in Chennai.
"We've been playing with an extra batter since the last two-three series. We want that cushion and also that batter gives us two-three overs in the game," said Suryakumar following the close finish on Saturday night.
In a must-win situation to keep the five-match series alive, England would be hoping to put in a much-improved performance with the bat.
Skipper Jos Buttler has looked the most assured England batter thus far while the others have struggled against quality spin.
Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse showed potential in the last game and they would be looking to build on that. On the bowling front, Archer would be aiming for the early wickets but at the same time, he will also look to stem the flow of runs, having conceded 60 off his four overs in Chennai.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been frugal as ever and it's the batting that needs to step up and do the job.'
(With PTI Inputs)
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