"He is the better batter" - Anil Kumble reckons Suryakumar Yadav should have batted above Ravindra Jadeja in IND vs AUS 2023 World Cup final
Anil Kumble believes that Indian team management should have backed Suryakumar Yadav to bat at No.6 in the ODI World Cup final against Australia on Sunday.
Ravindra Jadeja was sent to bat ahead of Suryakumar at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Jadeja walked out in the 29th over when India were 148/4, but had an ordinary outing with the bat, scoring just nine runs off 22 deliveries.
During a discussion on ESPNcricinfo after the Men in Blue's six-wicket loss to Australia in the final, Kumble explained (24:19):
"You are worried that what if Suryakumar Yadav gets out? I don't think you need to have those thoughts when you are setting a target. Irrespective of what is happening out there, you still need to give your best players opportunities. India could have sent Suryakumar ahead of Jadeja because he is the better batter and you expect him to play those overs."
Suryakumar Yadav also struggled to up the ante towards the back end of the innings. The dynamic batter scored just 18 runs from 28 balls and failed to get going. India were ultimately bowled out for 240 in the crucial encounter.
Australia chased down the target with six wickets in hand and seven overs to spare to clinch their sixth ODI World Cup trophy.
"Can understand holding Suryakumar Yadav back if it was the Wankhede Stadium" - Tom Moody
During the same discussion, former Australian cricketer Tom Moody suggested that India missed the trick by sending Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Suryakumar Yadav.
Moody highlighted that the Ahmedabad pitch was a difficult one to bat on and claimed that Suryakumar should have been given some more time in the middle. He explained (30:18):
"I can understand holding Suryakumar Yadav back if it was the Wankhede Stadium, which is a flat surface where someone like Suyrakumar can score 60-70 runs off his own bat. But when you are playing on a surface that is a little bit challenging, you nearly make it impossible for an impact player like him to have an impact in the last 10 overs."
"So, if there is an opportunity to get him in when there are 15-plus overs, it enables him to get familiar with the pace of the game and get into the contest, Moody added.
Suryakumar Yadav had a dismal campaign, scoring 106 runs from seven matches at an average of 17.66 at the 2023 World Cup.