Colombo, Feb 14 (PTI) India skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday said a good dressing room environment helps him give prominence to tactical flexibility, and make some tough decisions for the improvement of the team’s performance. While answer was more generic in nature, he might have been thinking about how Ishan Kishan replaced Sanju Samson as opener, even as the latter started as the assignee for that role for T20 World Cup.
“The environment starts from the dressing room, from the players, from the bus. What you see on the ground is a by-product. How do we spend time in the practice session, we go to watch a movie together, we eat together. But the environment is very good,” said Suryakumar on the eve of the match against Pakistan here.
Even in the bowling unit, Mohammad Siraj, who was excellent in the first game against the USA, had to give way for Jasprit Bumrah during the second match against Namibia.
“I think flexibility is very important in this format in bowling as well. If a match-up is good against a bowler in a game, you should play the bowler. If the match-up is good against another bowler in the next game, you should play him,” Surya’s answer is an indication that Kuldeep Yadav, who has superb record against Pakistan might just get a look-in.
“This is not a bilateral tournament or a franchise cricket to get some time for a comeback but in this (World Cup) you don’t get time for a comeback. So you have to take that tough call on the day. If someone has done well, you have to make them understand.” If everyone is on same page, then it is easy to take harsh calls.
“And in our team, everyone is sensible. Everyone understands. Everyone is equally aligned towards a goal. But yes, as you rightly said, it’s a difficult call to take,” he noted.
But Suryakumar extended that thought of flexibility to a personal sphere as captain as well.
“I want to be different on every given day. I don’t want to go with a set plan when I am going with this wonderful bowling unit. I want to have my plans different on each different day. When you go on the ground, take the field in a game, what comes to your mind at that time?” Talking about not bowling Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay, the Indian skipper provided his rationale for such a tactical call.
“I think that is more important than thinking about what has worked before and what could go really well if I bowl Bumrah or any other bowler in the powerplay. If he has to bowl three overs, he might bowl three overs. If he has to bowl an over and then bowl three overs later on.
“If it works on a given day, we will use the bowlers like that,” he explained. But how does he make that choice as to which bowler to batter to be rested for a particular match? “It’s very difficult to decide which fast bowler to play. How many fast bowlers and spinners to play because all the fast bowlers in the squad — Bumrah, Arshdeep and Siraj — are good and all the spinners are good too.
“But the combination that has worked for us before, like when we played the Asia Cup (in 2025 at Dubai), there was a similar type of wicket, a bigger ground. This is also a similar bigger ground, but the wicket will be better from there.
“So, I feel similar types of combinations will be played here. But it’s a good headache and a very difficult call to give a break to a fast bowler or a good spinner and play an extra batsman,” he added. PTI UNG KHS
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