Suryakumar Yadav on Sunday created an unwanted record as he became the first Team India player to get out on a golden duck in back-to-back One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The explosive batter's bizarre feat came against Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series in Visakhapatnam after Mitchell Starc scalped his wicket on the first ball Suryakumar Yadav faced from the left-arm pacer. Also, it is worth noting that Starc sent Suryakumar Yadav packing in the first game in Mumbai.
Unlike the T20Is, where he is the No.1 batter in the world, Suryakumar Yadav has failed to make much of an impact, having collected 433 runs at an under-par average of 25.47, with two fifties in ODIs. His highest score of 64 in ODIs came a year ago, in February 2022.
Suryakumar Yadav has contrasting stats in T20Is and ODIs. In T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav has become the backbone of India's batting, and the 32-year-old dasher became the first Indian batter to score over a thousand runs in a calendar year in T20Is, in 2022. On the other hand, he's yet to cement his place in the 50-over format, forget winning matches.
Against this backdrop, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar slammed Suryakumar Yadav for having a technical fault, the main reason behind his twin golden ducks against Australia.
“He is facing technical difficulties. Also his stance is an open one. It is good for T20 cricket because any delivery that is overpitched, he can flick it for a six. But here, when the ball is placed right near the foot, with this stance, the bat will definitely come across. It cannot come straight. Hence, if the ball turns inside, he will face difficulty. He needs to spend time with the batting coach on how to come out of this,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
The fans were equally critical of his pathetic display against Steve Smith's team, as they posted scathing remarks about him on Twitter.
shunya kumar yadav 💀
— ϞϞ(๑⚈ ․̫ ⚈๑)∩ (@AngryPikachuu) March 19, 2023
@surya_14kumar it’s actually Surya Ganwar Yadav.There is a reason why this 🦍 was playing domestic cricket all these years.
— Vardhan Nopany (@satnitfever) March 19, 2023
Maha bekar budha, sirf ipl layak hai. Lappebaz
— Satish Sigroha (@SatishSigroha) March 19, 2023
And will never take off cause he is only one format bully
— Sahil (@kohlibhakt018) March 19, 2023
He is complete fluke.
— Nitin Toraskar (@nj122) March 19, 2023
Meanwhile, India captain Rohit Sharma was unimpressed with the performance of his batters, who ripped into them for posting 117 runs on the board as Starc picked up a five-wicket haul and Sean Abbott grabbed three.
“It is disappointing. No doubt about that. We didn't play to our potential. We didn't apply ourselves with the bat. We always knew that was not enough runs. It was not a 117 pitch at all. By no means. We just didn't apply ourselves,” a dejected-looking Rohit Sharma said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“Kept losing wickets and that didn't allow us to get the runs we wanted. Once we lost Shubman in the first over, myself and Virat got 30-35 runs quickly. But then I lost my wicket and we lost a couple of wickets back to back. That put us on the back foot. It's always tough to come back from that situation. Today wasn't the day for us,” he added.
However, Rohit Sharma backed Suryakumar Yadav to come good in the ODIs before adding the middle-order batter would be given a long rope to prove his credentials in the 50-over format.
“We don't know about (Shreyas) Iyer's return. At this time there is a spot available so we have to play him (Suryakumar). He has obviously shown a lot of potential with white ball and I have said it many times before (that) guys with potential will be given some run,” Rohit Sharma elaborated.
“Of course, he knows that he needs to do while in a slightly longer format of the game as well. I think things are there in his mind as well. Like I said, guys with potential will have enough run where you know they should not feel that ‘Okay, You know I wasn't given enough chances in that particular slot',” he argued.
“Yes he got out in the last two games and the series before that as well, but he needs that consistent run, like back-to-back games, 7-8 or 10 games like that so that, you know, he feels more comfortable.”
“Right now, he has got in the place when someone's been injured or someone's not available. As management we can look into the performance when you give that consistent run and then you feel that okay, the runs are not coming and (he's) not looking comfortable. Then, we will start thinking about it. Right now, we have not gone that route,” Rohit Sharma explained.
Starc, who ended up with superb figures of 5/53, revealed that he was in a good rhythm and why he was enjoying his bowling right now.
“I feel like my rhythm has been good for a few weeks now and I guess the last couple of nights I've got the ball to shape in the air and do a little bit off the wicket so it's feeling in a good place and hopefully it continues. The role I play is being slightly fuller and more attacking than the other guys which in turn can be not as economical, a bit more expensive but I think it brings in all the dismissals a bit more,” Starc said after collecting the Player of the Match award.
Australian captain Steve Smith praised his team for their outstanding display in Visakhapatnam.
“It was a quick one. 37 overs for the game, you don't see that too often. I thought our bowlers were outstanding. Mitchell Starc in particular with that new ball swinging it back down the line and putting them under early pressure and he complemented really well with the rest of our bowling group. I didn't know how the wicket was going to play and how much it was going to swing. The way that Mitch and Heady went out and went after them was impressive. Putting them under pressure. When you're chasing 118 you can break the back of it really quickly,” Steve Smith summed up.
After their dismal showing in Andhra Pradesh, the Rohit Sharma-led Team India would look to regroup rather quickly as the series would be on the line in the third ODI in Chennai next week on Wednesday.
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