File photo of Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav once again got a good start but was unable to convert it into a big score as India were beaten by West Indies in the second ODI encounter in Barbados on Saturday. After scoring 19 in the first match, the explosive batter scored 24 off 25 deliveries before getting dismissed once again by Gudakesh Motie. With KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer slowly making their recovery ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023, Suryakumar has a tough road ahead of him and former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes that the 3rd ODI match can be the final chance for him to prove his mettle.
“He will probably get one more chance, in the third ODI. And that’s probably it because KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer will return and he will find it difficult to get into the side. But the way he bats, it takes high-risk options and he looks to hit boundaries which makes him lose his wicket. It is his nature to take riskier options and he needs to change that especially in this format,” Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.
The batting audition of India’s World Cup aspirants didn’t go as per plan on a bouncy track as West Indies levelled the three-match ODI series with a comfortable six-wicket victory, riding on superb bowling efforts from Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie.
Indian team management’s decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli badly backfired as none of the middle-order batters could cope with pace, bounce and turn, getting all-out for 181 in 40.5 overs in the rain-marred second ODI, here on Saturday.
In reply, West Indies survived a lively spell from Shardul Thakur (3/42 in 8 overs) before skipper Shai Hope (63 not out, 80 balls) and young Keacy Carty (48 not out, 65 balls) added 91 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket to close the game in 36.4 overs and break a chain of nine successive bilateral defeats since December, 2019.
However it was an inept batting effort that became India’s undoing.
Losing five wickets for 23 runs in just 7.2 overs after opening stand of 90 between Ishan Kishan (55 off 55 balls) and Shubman Gill (34 off 49 balls) hurt India’s cause after the West Indies skipper Shai Hope opted to bowl.
(With PTI inputs)
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