"Acceptance is the first step towards improvement" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav honestly accepting that his ODI record is terrible
Aakash Chopra feels Suryakumar Yadav acknowledging that he has a poor record in ODI cricket is the first step towards improvement in the format.
Suryakumar smoked a 44-ball 83 in the third T20I between India and the West Indies in Guyana on Tuesday (August 8) and was chosen as the Player of the Match for his knock. At the post-match press conference, he accepted that he has an indifferent record in ODIs and that he needs to improve his game in the format.
Reflecting on the development in a video shared on his YouTube, Chopra pointed out that Suryakumar Yadav accepting his shortcoming is a step in the right direction. He stated:
"Surya Bhau has candidly, honestly and openly accepted that his ODI record is really bad, it is nothing to be ashamed of, there is nothing to hide as well, and he already knows what you (reporters) are saying. Acceptance is the first step towards improvement."
The former Indian opener highlighted that the unconventional batter is not the first player who has had issues while switching between formats. He observed:
"He also said that Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have told him that he has to understand the format a little more. He is not the only one and he is not the first player as well who is taking a little time to shift from one format to the other."
Chopra cited the example of Rohit Sharma's struggles in Test cricket when he was playing in the middle order. He pointed out that since he started opening, he has fallen in love with Test cricket, but added that such a change takes time.
"Every format has its pulse" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav's issues in ODI cricket
Aakash Chopra feels Suryakumar Yadav needs to understand the pulse of ODI cricket. He elaborated:
"Where does the problem arise? Every format has its pulse. You need to understand that pulse, the rhythm at which it flows. Whenever Suryakumar Yadav plays T20 cricket, his wagon runs at the speed of a bullet train. He constantly keeps on putting pressure, every ball is like an event and there is no place for a dot ball."
The cricketer-turned-commentator believes the Mumbai batter's ultra-aggressive approach is unlikely to work in the 50-over format. He explained:
"When he plays ODI cricket, he is unable to understand its pulse, because it doesn't work out if you try to hit every ball. The bowlers are also adamant. They keep bowling at one spot because it is ODI cricket and they have time, that why should they do anything different if you have hit a four?"
He added that bowlers aren't too concerned if they concede a few boundaries in ODI cricket:
"If you hit a four in T20s, the bowler becomes defensive on the next ball. However, in ODIs he says you can continue hitting as he has fielders in the deep and he has a 10-over spell and it doesn't matter to him if you hit him for two fours. You consistently and patiently bowl at one spot."
Chopra pointed out that Suryakumar also needs to figure out how to place the ball into gaps and take singles in ODI cricket. While acknowledging that the swashbuckling batter is a tempting option and is being prepared for the 50-over format, the former Indian batter wasn't sure whether he would be ready before the World Cup later this year.