- By Himanshu Badola
- Sun, 24 Sep 2023 04:14 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Former India batter Gautam Gambhir believes that if the Indian team is planning to include the star-batter Suryakumar Yadav in the playing XI then he should be batting at no.6 or no.7, to give depth in the batting lineup.
Suryakumar finally managed to make it count in the ODI format as he smashed a promising half-century in the first ODI match against Australia.
His unbeaten 50 runs helped India secure a five-wicket victory to go 1-0 ahead in the three-match series.
Gambhir put his take as he feels that Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya could be promoted up the order to give Suryakumar a role he fulfills in the T20 cricket, applying the finishing touches with 15-20 overs left in the innings.
“If Suryakumar Yadav is in your first playing XI, then I would want him to bat at 6-7, but the big question will then be who will bat at No. 5. Then Jadeja can bat at No. 5, Hardik at 6, and Suryakumar as finisher where he can bat in the final 15-20 overs," Gambhir said at Star Sports.
"But it will be a huge gamble deciding whether you want Jadeja at No. 5 and Suryakumar, in the form that he is in ODI cricket, at No. 7. This would put a lot of responsibility on the top four," he added.
The star batter Suryakumar was delighted to make an effective contribution to help his team win after a disappointing run of scores in the format.
“I was wondering what was happening. The color of the ball is the same. The teams are the same. The bowlers are the same. I think I was hurrying a bit. I thought, let's take a little more time, calm myself, take it slowly, and try to bat deep,” he said while talking about the adjustments he had to make in the innings in Mohali.
He will be aiming to continue his stunning touch in the second ODI as India take on Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday.
