Surya has been having a great 12 months and it is for him to continue to do what he has been doing – Tim Southee
Suryakumar Yadav’s 111 against New Zealand on Sunday added to his rising stock as a top T20 batter but veteran pacer Tim Southee said he will have to prove himself consistently to become India’s best in the shortest format.
Suryakumar Yadav’s 111 against New Zealand on Sunday added to his rising stock as a top T20 batter but veteran pacer Tim Southee said he will have to prove himself consistently to become India’s best in the shortest format.
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.
“There have been some great T20 players from India, so many great cricketers. Surya has been having a great 12 months and it is for him to continue to do what he has been doing (for over some time),”
Southee said when asked if Suryakumar is the best T20 player from India he has bowled to.
“India has produced so many amazing cricketers not only in the T20 format but also across the three formats. You have got so many players who have played for a long time and have achieved so much over a long time.”
Promoted to number three, the 32-year-old Suryakumar toyed with the New Zealand bowlers who seemed clueless as the Indian batter played some extraordinary shots.
“He (Suryakumar) is a player who can hit in some ways. He has been in great form in the last 12 months — IPL and international cricket. He came up with a very impressive knock today,”
said Southee who returned with figures of 3/34 from his four overs.
Southee had his moments in the match. He bowled a splendid 20th over and stemmed the free flow of runs by taking a hat trick. He dismissed Washington Sundar, Deepak Hooda, and Hardik Pandya on the trot.
“I was a bit lucky there; bowling the last over, it’s a nice feeling. Sometimes you bowled well but don’t get the rewards, but today (it was different). Its part of the game,”
said the 33-year-old who has taken 132 wickets from 106 T20 International matches.
Asked if it was tough for the players to play in damp conditions, Southee said,
“It’s never ideal (with wet balls), but it is the same for both the teams. You have to adapt to the conditions.”
On New Zealand falling short by 65 runs, in the end, he said,
“Chasing that kind of a total, you needed a decent partnership at some stage. Another day, you would have got two or three early wickets (in the India innings).”