Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 19 (ANI): After smashing a blistering half-century against England in the fourth T20I here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, India batsman Suryakumar Yadav said the team management and the skipper Virat Kohli asked him to play his natural game and “keep it simple”.
India won the game by eight-run and levelled the five-match series 2-2.
Yadav played a knock of 57 off 31 balls decorated with three sixes and six fours which enabled India to post a competitive 185/8. His quickfire knock awarded him the Player of the Match title in his just the second match. He played in the second T20I of the ongoing series but did not get a chance to bat in that game.
“Really happy with the way things went. I have always dreamt of playing for India and winning games for the team. Just trying to be myself, I keep talking to myself and keep things very simple. The team management and Virat asked me to keep it simple and do what I have been doing in the IPL all along,” Suryakumar Yadav said after the match.
Yadav’s dismissal also sparked the debate over the on-field umpire’s soft signal. During India’s innings, two umpiring calls were a bit 50-50 and it could have gone either way. Suryakumar was sent back to the pavilion by Sam Curran.
The right-handed batsman tried to play a ramp shot but Dawid Malan ended up taking the catch. Replays indicated that the ball might have hit the ground when Malan was taking the catch, however, as the soft signal was out, the third umpire stayed with the on-field call citing “lack of conclusive evidence”.
Shardul Thakur brought the hosts back in the game as he scalped two crucial wickets of Stokes and Morgan on successive balls in the 16th over. Thakur picked Stokes (46) on the first ball and on the next delivery, he removed Morgan (4) to leave the visitors reeling at 140/6.
Thakur returned with the figures of 3-42 in his four overs. While Hardik Pandya and Deepak Chahar claimed two scalps each to restrict England at 177/8 in 20 overs.
The series decider to be played on Saturday at the same venue. (ANI)