Suryakumar Yadav has been dismissed for golden ducks in the first two ODIs against Australia.
The dashing right-hander played 31 T20I innings in 2022, amassing 1164 runs at an average of 46.56 and a remarkable strike rate of 187.43, including two hundreds and nine half-centuries. As a result, he earned the ICC Men’s T20I Player of the Year honour.
However, Suryakumar has failed to make as much impact in the 50-over format. In 22 ODIs so far, he has scored 433 runs at an average of 25.47 with two fifties. Yadav has been dismissed for two successive golden ducks in the ongoing ODI series against Australia.
After the second ODI in Visakhapatnam, former Australia skipper Aaron Finch assessed Surya's dismissals and said that the batter needed to pay more attention in the first few deliveries.
"Suryakumar got two beauties from Mitchell Starc. But he knows where he would have been bowling, he's got to be sharper than that in the first couple of balls," Finch said on Star Sports.
While Australia bundled out India for a paltry 117 in the second ODI, they had reduced the hosts to 83/5 defending the target of 189 in the series opener.
Reflecting on India’s 10-wicket thrashing in the second ODI, Finch said India opener Shubman Gill will be disappointed in himself that he was not able to make the most of his sensational form.
"I think Shubman Gill played a couple of loose shots, which would disappoint him especially after being in such good form. He was caught at backward point to not great deliveries. If you get knocked over as an opening batter by a genuine delivery, you can accept that. But when you get out when you are in such good form, you get so disappointed," Finch remarked.
With the series now levelled at 1-1, the two teams will head to Chennai for the decider to be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday (March 22).