'Myself, Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time.'
Abhishek Sharma can't win every game for India, said Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav while accepting that he and deputy Shubman Gill should have taken the onus of batting deeper during team's 51-run defeat to South Africa in the second T20I in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Thursday.
Abhishek (17 off 8 balls) started well but Gill (0) and skipper Suryakumar (5) were dismissed within the powerplay as India folded for 162 in pursuit of a challenging target of 214 on a good batting track.
"I think myself, Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time. The way he's been batting, he might have an off-day. Me, Shubman and few other batters should have taken it," Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"I think it would have been a smart chase. But then it's okay, Shubman got out on the first ball. But I should have taken that responsibility, batted a little deeper. But as I said we learn, we try and do better in the next game to come," Suryakumar didn't make excuses while taking the blame for this defeat.
Baffling ploy to promote Axar at No. 3
Axar Patel was promoted at No. 3 as a pinch-hitter but his run-a-ball 21 was exactly what India didn't need in a high-scoring chase and Suryakumar didn't sound convincing while reasoning out the strategic call.
"We just thought in the last game that we have seen Axar bat really well in the longer format. So we wanted him to bat the same way today as well. But unfortunately, (it didn't work) he did bat well. But we will see what's up for us going on in the next game," the captain gave ample indication that the botched up move will be aborted at the earliest.
When yorker can't be executed, think of plan B
Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah conceded an unprecedented nine sixes between them on a dew laden field where the ball got wet. It seemed that both were trying to bowl yorkers, especially Bumrah and it ended in juicy full-tosses instead.
"We could have just come back nicely because we bowled first and then later on they realized how the lengths are important on this wicket. But yeah, it's a learning process. Just learn and move forward. A little bit of dew as well and also if it wasn't working (yorker), we should have had a second plan, but we didn't go to that. But it's okay. As I said, it's a learning process."
Suryakumar said that Indian team will take a leaf out of South Africa's book to improve pace bowling.
"We learned how they bowled in the second innings. We learned from that and then we (will) try and execute in the next game."
© 2025