Why Suryakumar Yadav has failed to make an impact in ODIs: Too many shots too early, not pacing innings | Cricket News

When Suryakumar Yadav attempted an expansive sweep to be adjudged LBW off West Indies’ left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie in the first ODI in Bridgetown, he once again threw away an opportunity to seal a World Cup spot. In a team where there is tough competition for the middle-order slot, there is a reason why the team management has been giving opportunity-after-opportunity to Suryakumar.The 32-year-old is unique in terms of what he offers because he is the only 360 degree batsman.There are very few players in world cricket who can play all around the park as Suryakumar does against pace and spin. There are pockets in the field that only Suryakumar can even dare to exploit. With those flexible wrs of his, he can manufacture shots that can disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm. He is a proven match-winner in T20 cricket and doesn’t hesitate to put the pressure on the bowling side from the word go. But this approach isn’t working for him in One-day Internationals.
Almost all his match-winning knocks have come in the shortest format. It is the reason why India desperately wants him to succeed in the ODIs as he can be the X-factor in the second power play that falls in the middle-overs.
Teams are no longer prepared to see off the second power play but are looking to exploit the four-fielder rule. Batting teams prefer having their most destructive middle-order batsman at the crease.
Suryakumar fits the bill and it is the reason why even with Sanju Samson around, India stuck with the former for the series opener against the West Indies in Bridgetown on Thursday.
West Indies’ Gudakesh Motie celebrates the dismissal LBW of India’s Sanju Samson during their first ODI cricket match at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, Thursday, July 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
In a World Cup year, where teams are more or less playing with their first-choice players, rarely do those outside the core playing XI given as many chances as Suryakumar has got.
But he has been fortunate because both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been recovering from injuries.
Yet, after initially seamlessly fitting into the format, Suryakumar has been struggling to pace his innings in a format where there is room to switch gears.
To add to the worry, there has been a pattern to his dismissals. Other than throwing away good starts, he struggles against deliveries that come back in. He has been guilty of going hard at deliveries, he ought to play with soft hands. Or playing the cut to balls too close to the body. These shots come with an element of risk, especially in a format where there still exs some sort of balance between ball and bat.
Unlike in T20s where a batsman is forced to bat in the top gear, the ODIs still offer challenging periods to overcome. A middle-over batsman can factor in remaining overs and put a price on his wicket.
Despite his unique ability, Suryakumar needs to deliver fast.

For the World Cup, if Rahul is fit and available, the No.5 slot is locked for him. With Hardik Pandya at No.6 and Ravindra Jadeja at No.7, the only spot where India could accommodate Suryakumar is at No.4. With Iyer sidelined with injury, the home series against New Zealand, Australia and the ongoing one against West Indies was an ideal opportunity for Suryakumar to make a statement.
But in each of these series, Suryakumar has failed to even play an impact innings that he does so often in T20s. He is without a fifty in 18 innings, including three successive ducks. In the last one year, where he has featured in 17 ODIs, he is averaging a lowly 13.21.
Although Suryakumar could still make it to the squad as a backup, with Iyer taking his spot at No.4 when he returns, India might be tempted to try Samson at some point. In case Iyer doesn’t recover or struggles to find form, it is crucial that India has the right back-up option at No.4 as it happens to be a crucial slot.
Teams usually look for an enforcer at No.4, one who can do the rebuilding work in case of early wicket and at the same time consolidate after openers give a strong start. He is the one expected to bat through the overs with the finishers and for such a position, you need batters who can be dependable.
Suryakumar, despite coming in to bat with adequate overs, hasn’t managed to play that sort of an innings. Like in T20s, he has been able to get off to a quick start, where he not only manages to find a boundary, but also doesn’t hesitate to go for sixes. However, in a format where No.4 and 5 have to swift their gearsand manoeuvre the team to safety, Suyarkumar is yet to show he can bat at second or third gear depending on the situation.
During the home series against New Zealand in January, he got two good starts, and on both the occasions threw away his wicket going for one shot too many, leaving the lower-order to face more than 23 and 18 overs respectively.
These concerns were raised head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma, who admitted that Suryakumar is yet to show he can bat according to the situation. But unlike before, now Samson is fit and available and in his start-stop career hasn’t had the luxury of getting as many opportunities (especially a string of consecutive matches) as Suryakumar has received.

In the limited opportunities he received, two of his fifties stood out as both came when the team needed it the most. And although he isn’t a freak like Suryakumar, Samson is no less an impact player when it comes to playing electrifying knocks. Even in the T20s, Samson has showed he can bat in different gears and can easily switch to top gear with minimum effort. He may not exploit the same pockets like Suryakumar, but Samson is equally marauding against pace and spin.
Maybe the time has come for India to give Samson a chance for the second ODI on Saturday.