Jul 31, 2024 11:39 AM IST
India vs Sri Lanka: The Gautam Gambhir era got off to an impressive start after Suryakumar Yadav-India whitewashed Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series
Albeit not entirely, a glimpse of Gautam Gambhir’s approach to white-ball cricket was witnessed during the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, where the Suryakumar Yadav-led side scripted a whitewash. Not only has he stuck to the Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid blueprint, which played a significant role in India’s run to the 2023 World Cup final and a T20 World Cup haul, but also hinted that he needs even the top-order batters to chip in with a few overs, thus offering the captain ample options to chose from during a match.
On Tuesday, Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav stepped up for bowling duties when India needed to defend nine runs in the final 12 deliveries. Despite Mohammed Siraj having an over left, the management took the big gamble and it paid off with both the part-timers picking four wickets between themselves as Sri Lanka forced a Super Over.
Washington Sundar then crumbled Lankan hopes with two wickets in three deliveries for just two runs in the tie-breaker, before Suryakumar wrapped up the match in the opening ball.
Following the win, as the team assembled for the trophy celebration, captain Suryakumar handed the title to Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh as the shutterbugs captured the moment. The players were quickly joined by the support staff members as Suryakumar requested them. Rinku and Parag then walked up to Gambhir, urging him to take centre stage with the trophy in hand, given it was his first assignment as the head coach of the team. However, the former India World Cup winner refused the limelight and stood in the corner beside the rest of the coaching staff.
‘If we put our heart in…we can pull it off’
Suryakumar, who received the Player of the Series award in the post-match presentation, discussed how India approached defending 138 on the spinning track.
“More than the last over, I feel when we were around 30/4 and 48/5, how the boys showed character in the middle and took the game away from them … I felt 140 was a par score on that track. When we were going in during the fielding session, I told them, ‘I have seen such kind of games. If we put our heart in for one and a half hours, we can pull it off,” he said.