India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday said that powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia beginning here on Wednesday, and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s presence will boost his side’s chances in that period of the match.
Suryakumar said having Bumrah has always been an asset for his side, especially against Australia’s style of aggressive play.
“Yes, it is always a challenge, we have seen how they (Australia) played in the ODI series and also in the T20 World Cup. Power play is always important,” Suryakumar said in the pre-series press conference.
“You saw in the Asia Cup, he (Bumrah) took the responsibility of bowling 2 overs minimum in the power play, so it is good that he is raising his hand, acting as if he is that guy who will take charge. It is going to be a good challenge definitely against the Aussie team in the power play.” The 31-year-old Bumrah is the most experienced player in the Indian T20I squad in terms of playing in Australia, and Suryakumar said his strike bowler knows how to prepare well for a good series.
“The way he (Bumrah) has played his cricket for the last so many years, he has kept himself right on the top, and he knows how to prepare for a good series, he knows how to come and play cricket here.
“I think he has visited this country the most from all the guys, so all of the players have spoken to him, he is very open and very helpful in that. Definitely when he takes the ground it will be a good thing, good to have him in the squad, when we play in Australia.” Suryakumar also hinted that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was ruled out of the third and final ODI due to an injured quadriceps, could be available for the T20I series.
“I think he is doing fine. Yesterday he did some bit of running, batting also in the nets. Today he wanted to take a break as it was an optional practice but we came to the ground because we had a team meeting and he wanted to stay with the group because T20 is new team, all the guys have come in, so he looks good.”
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Continuation of T20 World Cup build-up
He said the team sees the five-match T20I series against Australia as a continuation of the build-up to next year’s World Cup.
“There is not much change in combination, because last time when we went to South Africa, we played with one fast bowler, one all-rounder and three spinners. The conditions are similar, bouncy tracks.
“Preparation obviously started with the Asia Cup and it will continue like this. We are not looking like we have come to a foreign country to play so we will look at this series in a different way. It’s a build-up to the World Cup, but at the same time it’s quite challenging as well, so I am sure it will be a good one.” Asked about the brand of cricket the team will play, he said, “There are always challenging conditions, when you go to Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, there is challenging cricket in all these countries. But how you adapt it and how to play shots, how to make runs, it is non-negotiable at this level.”
“Working hard on fielding”
The Indian captain said the players are also working hard on fielding after the team had poor efforts in some recent matches.
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“It’s a part of the game, but what you do after that (poor fielding) is more important. Today was an optional session, but everyone came to field, so that means the team is working towards something really special and this is a department that I have said that we will have to work a little hard if we want to be the best fielding unit in the world.
“We are working hard on it. But there is no guarantee that if you take 25 catches today, then tomorrow it will not be dropped again. But creating intent and opportunity is important for me. If catch is dropped, there is disappointment obviously, but at the same time, if you are doing it with effort, then there is no problem.” He admitted that selecting the playing XI is a difficult task as the team has so many options to rely on.
“It’s a good headache with so many options, fast bowling, spinners, from top to 7th you can bat anywhere, so it’s little difficult to explain to those who are not playing.
“But everyone in this team knows the goal, that is to win the match. No matter what the combination is, your goal is to win for India.” He said any player can have the opportunity to play anytime and gave the example of Rinku Singh during the Asia Cup triumph.
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“It is only 11 people who can play, 15 cannot play. In the Asia Cup, Rinku Singh did not get the opportunity till the final, but at such a time he got the opportunity when he needed 3-4 runs to win and he hit the boundary.” He also said that he did not put any pressure on anyone by way of expectation, including on Shivam Dube, who played a major role in India’s Asia Cup triumph.
“He (Duye) has been working really hard on his bowling. I showed so much confidence that I made him bowl twice in Asia Cup final, I have played with him for 8-10 years, so I knew.
“I saw that he has good preparation, if your preparation is good, there is no doubt in your mind, and he is very clear with his plans.”
