T20 WC: Suryakumar focuses on strengths to negate spin threat in Caribbean

Bridgetown [Barbados], June 19 (ANI): India batter Suryakumar Yadav is looking to focus on his strengths to negate the spin threat on the West Indies pitches.

Spinners have enjoyed the amount of turn that the surfaces in the Caribbean have offered in the group stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup.

The pacers have also had their fair share of enjoyment with the pitch offering plenty of movement in the powerplay.

Across 24 matches, spinners have taken a whopping 116 wickets at an average of 19.46 and an economy rate of 6.61. But due to the dual nature of the surface, pacers have claimed more wickets, 181 at an average of 17.52.

Suryakumar insisted that he would rely on his strong suit, sweeps, and reverse sweeps to deal with the spinners.

“That has always been my strong point (sweeps and reverse sweeps). I’ve tried to play the same way that I do in the practice sessions,” Suryakumar said in a press conference.

During the group stage, the number one T20I-ranked batter was relatively quiet on a tricky New York surface.

Suryakumar went against his conventional aggressive style of play and resorted to a slow approach.

After he struggled to put up runs on the board against Ireland and Pakistan, he played an unbeaten knock of 50 off 49 deliveries at a strike rate of 102.04.

“If have you been number one for two years, you should be able to bat in different conditions and change the game as per the needs of the team. That displays good batsmanship and that is what I try,” Suryakumar said.

“It’s difficult to generate that force when there’s no pace on the wicket and when someone has read your game nicely. So, at that time, you have to be very smart about how you want to extend your innings. You have to change according to the situation, what the team demands at that moment and talk to your partner who is inside, calm your nerves down and then take the innings ahead,” he added.

India will begin their Super 8 journey against Afghanistan on Thursday in Barbados.