'If you are number one, you should be able to bat in different conditions': Suryakumar

Suryakumar Yadav. Pic/AFP

The world's number one batter Suryakumar Yadav has had to change his game due to the nature of the wickets in the T20 World Cup 2024 but he is expecting the surfaces in the Caribbean to be a lot better for strokeplay. India open their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan here on Thursday. Their other games are against Bangladesh and Australia in St Lucia, which has produced the tournament's highest total thus far, and Antigua.

On the 'spicy' wickets of New York, Suryakumar had to play the waiting game, especially playing strokes behind the wicket. He took India over the line against USA with an unbeaten 50 off 49 balls, way below his average strike rate of 168.06. "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," said Suryakumar during a media interaction here on Tuesday. "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 how you want to extend your innings. "You have to change according to the situation, what team demands at that moment and talk to your partner who is inside, calm your nerves down and then take the innings ahead." Suryakumar is looking forward to return to his 360 degree ways in the Caribbean but it's not that he had a problem with the conditions in the USA. "I was happy playing there as well (laughs). It's not that we weren't happy playing there, but we were playing for the first time, so yes, the conditions were different and little challenging as well. But we have played here (in West Indies), we know the conditions." The pitch at the Kensington Oval has a brownish look to it, something that the Indian team witnessed on its last West Indies tour as well.

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"The practice pitches, yeah, they were a little spicy in New York. It was fresh. They made the conditions after they got to know there is a World Cup there. Here they have been making pictures regularly and they are much better than (USA)," he said. The spinners have been doing well in the Caribbean conditions so far in the tournament but Suryakumar is not perturbed, as part of his game is take the attack to the slower bowlers. "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."

Virat Kohli is opening the batting with skipper Rohit Sharma with Rishabh Pant being promoted to number three in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. If India lose wickets early, will Suryakumar change his game? "Nothing like that has happened. We try to play the format of the game. If there are early wickets you still have to put runs on the board and bat with that same intent. That is what we try and tell each other to take the positive route. "The management has left it to the players to decide at that point of time," he added.

(With agency inputs)