Last over of the innings. Surya is at the striker’s end. He has already brought a middling score into a defendable one. Will he be able to propel this score into the insurmountable? Can Surya be the Hussey of India?
First ball, the ball was just outside the off-stump. He just turns his wrists slightly to send the ball soaring over the deep backward point region for 6. Second ball, the bowler Haroon Arshad, directs the ball well wide of off. He must have thought that Surya will try to make room to play the inside out shot over covers. Instead, Surya moves with the ball and slices a drive and the result was an effortless six. Third delivery, Surya sends the ball straight down the pitch for another six. At this point, Ramesh on commentary, Tamil ofcourse, mentioned that Yuvraj’s record of 6 sixes is under threat but he missed the 4th delivery.
However, of the next delivery, normal service resumes and the ball is sent over fine leg for another 6. With the final delivery, 2 more runs were added and with that Surya had managed to propel a below-par total into an insurmountable one. It was Surya’s innings that allowed Rohit and bowl Avesh and Arshdeep their full quota despite being turned into a pair of net bowlers.
A bit of a slow starter
Surya Yadav is a late bloomer. Up until a few years ago, no one knew who Surya was. He is playing for Mumbai and one hasn’t heard anything extraordinary from him. We all heard about the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan but Surya was never in the radar. He hasn’t hard a stellar first class career either averaging in the 40s. In Ranji Trophy, if you are averaging below 50, it is as good as you aren’t that good enough to represent the country. Things began to change for Surya and change for the better.
It was not until his second coming for Mumbai Indians, that his fortune began to shift. Ever since, he has aggregated atleast 300 runs in every IPL season. Around the sametime, his number for Mumbai in T20 cricket also began to shine through. Another impressive aspect of his T20 batting is his strike rate. Upwards of 150 in most of the innings he has played. This despite the fact that he was not considered a certainty in the Indian squad and has batted as an opener till number 5 in the order.
Most versatile Indian batsman in T20
He has now emerged as the most important Indian batsman in the shortest format. The consistency that he has shown is incredible. The array of strokes if breathtaking. He effortlessly shifts gears, seemingly looking to defend the ball but actually eyeing the fine-leg or cow-corner. The knock at Nottingham was really fantastic. Chasing over 200 with the team at 13/2, he scored a scintillating hundred when the other batsmen could not manage more than 28. The calmness that Surya showcases at the crease must be seen to be believed. He always thinks that he can win a game of his own. That is calmness and confidence bundled together.
The number 2 ranked batsman in T20
Cricket rankings are not fool-proof. Nonetheless, is such a short span, he is within striking distance of becoming the number one T20 batsman. He must be able to achieve that ranking within the next few months. An in-form Surya in the middle and a maverick at that, the Indian team will be much tougher team at the T20 World Cup.
Will he go onto achieve what Hussey did?
Surya has the game and the confidence to achieve what Hussey managed. Hussey got his chance pretty late in his career, mainly because of the incredible array of batsmen the Australians possessed during that period. India on the otherhand, is missing a couple of reliable middle order batsmen who can support Kohli. If his Ranji Trophy records are anything to go by, I am afraid it does not paint a pretty picture of the batsman. He averages in the early 40s which for a batsman of his potential does not really do any justice. Success in white ball cricket does not necessarily transfer to red-ball. The likes of Bevan will vouch for that.
Much was expected of the former Tamil Nadu batsman, S. Badrinath. Just like Surya, he made his debut for India in his early 30s. He did not prove that successful. Ofcourse, he wasn’t given consistent enough chances to prove his mettle. If at all Surya wants to create a name for himself in the highest format, he will have to break into the team during the current season. India will be playing 6 home tests against Bangladesh and Australia. Australia is a tough side but he cannot hope for a better outing than playing in India. Environs that he knows about inside out.
Wrapping up can Surya be the Hussey of India?
Emulating Michael Hussey will not be easy. He was a man in a hurry, willing to make up for lost time. Hussey was one of the Aussie batsman who played both spin and pace pretty well. Surya’s ability against genuinely good fast bowling is yet to be tested though his ability against spin is unquestioned. The time is quite ripe for Surya though. Both Rahane and Pujara are no longer certain of their position in the team. Shreyas was found wanting in every format. Vihari with his Pujara like approach is not inspiring confidence either. In such a scenario, India need a batsman who has the game to score runs against every opposition.
Surya can score runs quickly. No problem with that but will he be able to do that in all conditions against all the bowlers? That is a question only Surya can answer through his performance.
What do you think? Do you think Surya has the game to contribute to Indian cricket team even in Tests? Do let me know in the comments section.
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