India pacer Prasidh Krishna lauded Suryakumar Yadav and his captaincy after the Men in Blue defeated Australia in the second T20I of the five-match series and went 2-0 up. India won the 2nd T20I by 44 runs in Thiruvananthapuram on November 26, 2023.
Matthew Wade of Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ishan Kishan all made half-centuries. And then Rinku Singh’s 31* in 9 balls propelled India to 235/4.
In response, Indian bowlers did well to reduce Australia to 58/4. But Tim David and Marcus Stoinis brought Australia back in the massive chase with a quick 81-run partnership. However, the asking rate was too much even for them, and then in the end, Matthew Wade made 42* in 23 balls, but the visitors could only manage 191/9 in 20 overs and lost by 44 runs.
Prasidh Krishna, the team's leading pacer, sheds light on Suryakumar's captaincy style, drawing parallels between his leadership philosophy and the batsman's uncomplicated approach to the game.
"It shows in the way he (Suryakumar) bats - very similar in his captaincy as well. He trusts his players, backs all of us to do what we want to do and he's there right behind us to support us if anything is going wrong," Prasidh Krishna said in a post-match press conference.
Suryakumar has been lauded for his uncomplicated and supportive leadership style which has been well received by the younger players, creating an environment where each player feels empowered to contribute to the team's success.
Reflecting on his experience in the World Cup squad, Prasidh Krishna acknowledges the learnings gained but highlights the difference between theoretical knowledge and on-field execution.
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"Being a part of the squad was massive learning for me. That's the biggest learning curve I've had since I've been a part of the team. I got to learn a lot about the way people prepare, the amount of information that you can take," said Prasidh.
Prasidh Krishna also talked about playing in conditions where dew plays a major role, as the ball tends to get wet, making it difficult for bowlers to grip and control it.
"It was quite difficult to bowl. We were planning to tackle dew even in Vizag but luckily we didn't have to do much there. But here (Thiruvananthapuram) it was wet. Even in the eighth over when Mukesh (Kumar) was bowling, there was a lot of dew," he added.
The pacer had rich praise for Ravi Bishnoi and Akshar Patel, the two Indian spinners who showcased their adaptability in tackling the dew.
"There was dew in the sixth, seventh, and eighth over. The way Axar came to bowl the way he did, Ravi Bishnoi picked up two wickets at crucial junctures. They played a very important role despite dew setting in," he added.
The third T20I between the two teams will be played on November 28 in Guwahati.
(PTI inputs)
