Suryakumar Yadav is presently under immense pressure after he was dismissed for a golden duck in all three innings of the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Australia at home.
After Suryakumar was dismissed for zero in the first two ODIs courtesy of Mitchell Starc, the Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid decided to send the 32-year-old batter at number 7 in the final ODI, and he failed once again, this time falling to Ashton Agar.
After the match, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja came out in support of Suryakumar, as many have suggested dropping the batter from the side, and said that it was a poor decision to play the batter at No. 7, saying he should be given more and more deliveries to regain his form.
Ajay Jadeja told Cricbuzz: “You played him, some people thought that he shouldn't play, but you did back him. But you also had a doubt, that's a fact. It was visible through your decision. You thought 'he isn't in form, so we can't send him at this moment because he is failing against swing'. When he came at the end, the game became even more difficult.”
He further explained, “When you're going through a good time, it doesn't matter if you make the batter wait. But if the form isn't good and you let the player wait for his batting, his mind would run in different directions. He is a human being! He's the same Suryakumar Yadav who scored 360 degrees across the ground. It isn't as if he doesn't know how to play. It's all about the mind.
When someone like Virat Kohli faced so many months out of form, it means there's something in the mind that affects your game. If you're thinking too much, and you're making the player wait for his batting, the doubt only increases.”
Jadeja said that a player can only regain his form if he is given more balls to play.
He stated: “In our days, it used to be said that if someone isn't in form, and if he plays at no.4 and you send him at no.7, it will always be more challenging. You will always feel more comfortable when you bat up the order.”
He concluded, “When you come at no.7, whatever strength you have in your batting, you've already lost 60-80 percent of it. You haven't made it any easier. You can only regain form when you play ahead. You can't save anyone. If you try to save someone, this game will only kill you more.”
(Cricbuzz inputs)
