In a brilliant clash at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, India emerged victorious against Afghanistan by 47 runs in their opening match of the Super Eight stage of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
The star of the show was Suryakumar Yadav, whose impressive innings and strategic approach against Afghanistan's ace spinner Rashid Khan proved crucial in India's win.
India, after a shaky start, found themselves in a tricky position at 90/4 after 11 overs. The Afghan spinners, particularly skipper Khan, were increasing the pressure on the Indian batting lineup. It was at this point that Suryakumar partnered up with Hardik Pandya to guide the Men in Blue to a comfortable position.
"When Hardik came into bat, I told him we need to bat with the same intent, let's not leave it too much till the end. It would've been difficult with the ball reversing. I just told him let's keep pressing the pedal and see where we are at the end of 16 overs. Glad we got to 180," said Yadav as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
I enjoy batting between overs 7 to 15: Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar's innings of 53 off 28 balls was a masterclass in T20 batting. Hardik and Suryakumar stitched a partnership of 60 runs off just 37 balls, which was the turning point of the match.
"When I play, I'm very clear in my mind what I want to do. When he [Rashid] bowls, it's very difficult to pick him. I know what shots to play when I am inside. He's the best bowler in the world, you can't let him dominate. You have to be a step ahead," he added.
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This mindset was evident in his batting, as he took on the leg spinner, scoring 16 runs off just six deliveries from the spinner, including two fours and a massive six. The 33-year-old's ability to read the game situation and adapt his batting accordingly was crucial in India posting a competitive total of 181/8.
"I've practiced that [batting in the middle overs] and have played a lot there, I enjoy batting in that phase, between overs seven to 15, that's where teams try and control the game," Suryakumar further added.
The Indian bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah's exceptional figures of 3/7 in four overs and a crucial spell from Arshdeep Singh of 3/36, helped the side successfully defend the total, bowling out Afghanistan for 134.
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