Legendary Indian batsman VVS Laxman heaped praise on Suryakumar Yadav for batting style while saying the cricketer is on a mission to make up for lost time having only made his debut for India in March this year after so many years spending time at domestic cricket.
Suryakumar has already impressed many with his performance for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as for Mumbai in domestic cricket and is now making the most of each and every opportunity he gets in the international arena.
The right-hander made India debut in March 2021 and scored 57 and 32 in 2 T20Is against England. He is letting the bat do the talking in Sri Lanka as well, where he managed 31* and 53 in the 2 ODIs.
Laxman wrote in his column for the Times of India, “Surya is on a mission to make up for the lost time. A late entrant to international cricket, he looks the perfect mix of orthodoxy and aggression, and I especially love the way he uses his feet against the spinners.”
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He further added, “In some ways, he is a throwback to our generation of batsmen in that not only does he come down the track; he also uses the depth and width of the crease to target areas that are not populated by fielders. That's what makes him so versatile; he is as much at home batting at No. 5 as he is at No. 3 (which he does for his franchise), and the effortlessness with which he dismisses the ball from his presence takes my breath away.”
The legendary batsman also hailed India’s powerful batting display so far in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka but was most impressed by the way the tourists won the second ODI from dead, thanks to Deepak Chahar (69*) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s (19) heroic efforts in Colombo.
India had slipped to 193/7 but Chahar and Kumar rescued the side by adding unbeaten 84 runs for the eighth wicket to take the tourists to a thrilling 3 wicket win in the second ODI and Laxman said the current touring line-up will cherish this victory for the rest of their lives.
Laxman further mentioned, “The ODI series in Colombo has played out along expected lines, India clinching the series at the first time of asking. Victory in the first game was convincing and comprehensive, thanks to a powerful batting display, but I am sure the team will have taken greater pleasure in their three-wicket win in game two after being pushed to a corner.”
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He explained, “That result reflected the character Indian cricket as a whole has shown in the last several months, defeat in the WTC final notwithstanding. India looked out for the count at 193 for seven, still 83 short of the target, when an unexpected batting hero emerged in the form of Deepak Chahar.
The maturity and confidence he showcased under pressure was exemplary, the wise head of Bhuvneshwar Kumar guiding him admirably. It's unlikely this bunch will play together for the country anytime soon after this tour is over, but every member of the party will cherish that victory for the rest of their lives.”
Hailing India’s batting depth, Laxman wrote: “India's batting has been exciting and consistent with almost everyone in the top six making meaningful contributions, but the standout performers have been Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav. While Prithvi will be disappointed at how he got out to spinners in both games, he showed intent and tremendous stroke-play, especially in the first game when he peppered the off-side boundary with stunning regularity.”
He concluded, “Sri Lanka have had their moments but have been let down by a lack of experience, more than anything else. Going into Friday's final ODI, India will take nothing for granted. Agreed, the series is in the bag, but there is no greater satisfaction than completing a clean sweep, away from home.”
(With TOI inputs)
