"How do you make batting look so beautiful?" - Mithali Raj in awe of Suryakumar Yadav's strokeplay
Mithali Raj was effusive in praise for Suryakumar Yadav after the latter's half-century powered India to a series victory against Australia on Sunday, September 25. The former captain of the national women's team took to Twitter to express her admiration for the Mumbaikar's batting elegance.
His sublime knock of 69 off 36 deliveries was pivotal in India chasing down 187 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. He was adjudged the Player of the Match for the same.
Mithali congratulated the Men In Blue, while also congratulating the Women In Blue for securing a 3-0 whitewash over England in the ODI series. She also termed Suryakumar's strokeplay as gorgeous, exclaiming how he makes batting look so beautiful to the eye.
Here's a look at the tweet:
🏻A 3-0 victory over England is a spectacular feat. The men's team also pulled off a thrilling victory over the Aussies. Congratulations to @BCCIWomen and @BCCI for the series win!
And @surya_14kumar, how do you make batting look so beautiful? Gorgeous strokeplay. 👌🏻
Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli secure India's 2-1 series win over Australia
Electing to field first in the series decider against Australia, India were subjected to a Cameron Green blitz. The all-rounder struck a blistering 21-ball 52 to dictate terms initially before a collapse saw the hosts roar back in style.
A sorry display in the death overs by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah meant that they lost the plot, however, with Tim David's 54 powering Australia to 186/7.
In response, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma departed in the powerplay, putting the game in the balance. Suryakumar then joined former skipper Virat Kohli as the duo went about rebuilding the innings with a counter-attack. A swift 104-run partnership, embellished with eye-catching strokes along the way, saw the Men In Blue dominate the run-chase.
The hosts struggled to sustain momentum post that partnership, however, with the game going down to the wire. Eventually, despite Kohli falling in the final over for 63, Hardik Pandya's cameo of 25 off 16 deliveries saw the team home.
Axar Patel was adjudged the Player of the Series for bagging eight wickets at 7.88 apiece.