India all-rounder Axar Patel has revealed the way of bowling to Suryakumar Yadav. Suryakumar Yadav has the ability to hit shots to all corners of the wicket, making him a tough batsman for any bowler. If he gets going, he can be among the most dangerous hitters in the world.
During India’s first Super 8 match against Afghanistan on June 20, Suryakumar showcased his full range of strokes by scoring 53 off just 28 balls to take India to a competitive score.
His innings included 5 fours and 3 sixes. Two of those six were against Afghanistan’s best bowlers of the moment, Rashid Khan and Fazahaq Farooqi. Their back-to-back sweeps against Rashid Khan were a delight to watch as they once again put pressure on Afghanistan.
Watch: Suryakumar Yadav reveals hilarious ‘gum-chewing’ act to handle pressure after Virat Kohli’s dismissal
Axar Patel reveals bowling plan to Suryakumar Yadav
During the post-match press conference, Axar Patel was asked about bowling to a batsman like Suryakumar Yadav. The left-arm bowler believes adjusting line and length against such batsmen plays a crucial role.
“It’s important to stay ahead of the game and be one step ahead of the batsman in T20s. Obviously, we prepare with videos and other things and I try to see where the batsman is going to hit me for runs. I cover those bases and accordingly and I try to predict if he’s going to sweep or play some other particular shot, and I adjust my line and length for that,” Axar explained.
Patel also mentioned that he tries to bowl full if the batsman tries to sweep it to make him uncomfortable.
“I try to bowl a little full to make him uncomfortable. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn’t because the batsman also comes prepared. So yes, this is my plan when I play against good batsmen,” he said.
Good game for Axar Patel as India show their strength
Axar Patel also had a good game as he made crucial contributions with both bat and ball. With the bat, he made a quick 12 off 6 balls, which included 2 fours in the final over. Patel was run out on the last ball of the match. With the ball, he picked up important ground from Ibrahim Zadran on the power play to start Afghanistan’s slide.
Meanwhile, India showed its strength by comprehensively defeating Afghanistan by 47 runs. The Men in Blue were struggling while batting but Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya made important contributions to take the team to a respectable total.
With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah led the way by producing astonishing figures of 3-7 in four overs. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh complemented him well with three wickets.
India’s next match will be against Bangladesh on June 22 in Antigua. After that, Rohit Sharma and his men will head to Saint Lucia for their final Super 8 clash against Australia on June 24.