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India's 'perfect' gameplan with the bat in 1st ODI vs WI...

February 08, 2022 17:09 IST

'There is nothing to change, I mean you just need to be safe and just express ourselves.'

 

India's batters showed a lot of intent despite chasing a low total in the first ODI against West Indies and going forward the team will continue to bat in a positive fashion, said Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday.

India had cruised to victory in just 28 overs after bowling out West Indies for 176 in 43.5 overs with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal taking 4/49 and off-spinner Washington Sundar picking up 3/30.

Surya also feels that batting first isn't really a big challenge for the side.

"Not really, I think, we have kept things really simple, we are going to bat the same way, we did in the last game, it is just that when we bat first, we need to try and bat till the end to have that defendable score, but the way we batted in the second innings in the last game, I think it was perfect.

"I think the tempo was nice, the intensity and the intent was really good, so there is nothing to change, I mean you just need to be safe and just express ourselves," he said on Tuesday, on eve of the second ODI in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Surya has batted at various positions in the middle order in limited overs cricket for India.

"It is not too different (batting at No 5), I have been batting at all the positions and I am really flexible, so where ever the team management decides and wants me to bat, I am really flexible to bat at any position," he said.

"We almost ticked all the boxes, we will try and repeat the same and that is always a challenge to repeat what we do in the first game everywhere, so let's see, really looking forward," he said

According to Surya, he also does a lot of net sessions at home and the motivation to play for the county comes from inside.

Talking about his wide range of strokes, he said: "It all came from practise, I mean it was not that difficult, I knew I just had to work on few strokes, where I can get runs... so I was focussing on that and slowly kept working in the nets, did lot of match simulations when I was back home and with lot of perfect practise it came automatically," he added.

Surya refused to divulge any detail on team combination with K L Rahul back in the side after missing the first game.

"This is a wrong department; you have asked a question to the wrong person (laughs). They (KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal) were seen in training and I am sure they coming back into the squad after quarantine, it makes our unit stronger and at the end of the day, it is all team management's call, who is going to play and who is not going to play, so but yeah really happy to have them back."

"Yes (I can contribute with the ball), whenever I will get an opportunity, I will bowl and I have been regularly bowling in the nets, whenever they feel they (team management) feel, they can use me, always available,” the Mumbaikar added.

He said he doesn't like being compared to Australian great Michael Bevan in his role as finisher.

"Sir let me be Suryakumar Yadav…with difficulty have played 5-7 games for India…but yes I am trying, whichever number I get to bat, and can win the team from any situation, so that will be my effort.

"Even if I bat first, I will do the same things, I will try to express (myself) and be fearless as I always am," he said when asked about his comparisons with Michael Bevan.

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