Anytime a T20 player gets a hundred in a match, it’s quite often the difference – Tim Southee
New Zealand great pacer Tim Southee recognized that Suryakumar Yadav, the stand-out performer in the second T20I between New Zealand and India in Mount Maunganui, had a significant effect on the result of the game.
New Zealand great pacer Tim Southee recognized that Suryakumar Yadav, the stand-out performer in the second T20I between New Zealand and India in Mount Maunganui, had a significant effect on the result of the game.
Riding on Suryakumar’s 51-ball 111, India posted an impressive 191/6. New Zealand could only manage 126 in reply, getting bowled out in the 19th over, with all the batters struggling to get going.
“Anytime a T20 player gets a hundred in a match, it’s quite often the difference. You look at the rest of the side and the way we sort of batted; his innings were miles apart from anything else we saw today. Probably made them get to a score that was probably a little bit more than what we were hoping for. It was an exceptional inning and it was the difference between restricting India to 175-180 and then getting above 190,”
said Southee at the post-match press conference on Sunday (November 20).
“That’s probably the way to sum it up – never really got going,”
added Southee about the New Zealand chase.
“Anytime it looked like it was about to get going, we lost a wicket. That’s a credit to the way India bowled. They had a decent score on the board. If you’re able to take regular wickets and early wickets, then that makes that score even bigger. Just not able to get going and when you’re chasing a score like that, you need to blunt it with a decent partnership at some stage.”
“He’s a player that can hit you and hurt you in some areas. He’s had a great 12-18 months in IPL, international cricket. Came up against a pretty impressive knock today. The guys will reassess and come up with something for Napier,”
said Southee.
“There have been some great T20 players from India. They produce so many good cricketers. Sky’s had a great 12 months. It’s there for him to continue to do so and continue to play the way he has. But you look at guys that have played for a long period and achieved so much over a long period … India has always produced amazing cricketers not only in T20 cricket but across all three formats.”
When asked about his hat trick, Southee played it down to luck.
“It’s nice…I got a bit lucky there in the last over and that can happen. Another day, they’d disappear over the fence and go for six. It’s nice when that happens but it all starts again in a day or two’s time. It’s part of cricket.”