“Shot of the match bhai!” Ravi Shastri cooed, solely he, as is his wont, pronounced bhai as bye when Suryakumar Yadav ran down the observe to the pacer Daniel Sams and hit a again of size ball on the up and over long-off. Quite a shocking hit that, and introduced up reminiscences of Sachin Tendulkar sashaying down the pitch and slamming Glen McGrath for a six and a 4 off considerably related balls to long-off boundary in that well-known duel at Nairobi 22 years again.
Even three days again for that matter, Sachin Tendulkar was doing it on the Road Safety World Series: although he hit a short-of-length ball from Chris Tremlett over long-on. Now, long-off is one other factor altogether. And although Sams is not any McGrath, the ball was a contact tougher. As it was a tad extra again of size and rose that contact extra even after Surya had rushed down the observe.
Also, Tendulkar had a barely higher approach for that six off McGrath (one flew for a six, and the opposite blurred throughout for a 4). When he was down the pitch, he would get his bat a bit extra horizontal that allowed him management and smash the rising ball that significantly better. Like a forehand down the road, if you’ll.
Saying it as soon as once more, atm Suryakumar Yadav is the world’s greatest T20I batsman.
pic.twitter.com/LWSk1cJKpX
— Vishal. (@SportyVishal) September 25, 2022
Surya, not less than as we speak, hadn’t had the bat tilted the SRT means. His was extra standard, a form of downward batswing as one would do to a fuller pitch ball. The hazard with such a shot to a shortish ball is that you just may find yourself getting the elevation reasonably than distance and gap out to deep mid-on. But in some way he managed it to get the gap as effectively and that’s why maybe Shastri was singing on air.
Another distinction to the Tendulkar six in Nairobi was that the McGrath ball hadn’t bounced as a lot as Sams’s. The 4 ball was fairly related top, rising at the same time as Tendulkar made contact however the six in actual fact made contact with the toe-end of the bat. Also, Tendulkar’s was extra thrilling as he had danced down the observe; Surya’s is extra composed cautious positioning of the physique; he did transfer down however didn’t advance as a lot because the marauding Tendulkar.
Surya has this talent to carry his form even when he’s charging down the observe. Sachin definitely had it after all, the steadiness tended to be abnormally good, however on his day Surya is ready to match that.
Most of his pictures come from the calculated ‘shape-holding’ T20 ebook of batting. Hold form, stretch the higher physique, prolong the arms to its fullest, attempt to keep up steadiness even at that tipping over level – and wham. Most of the time, it comes all the way down to the way in which he positions himself in a shot.
Secondly, even when his fingers go the complete distance as he stays with the shot, fully ending it, stretching the post-impact extension of arms to its fullest, he’s extremely in a position to maintain his form. It’s one factor to do when he’s standing at his stance however one other factor altogether when he does it after marching down the pitch to a pacer.
The threat on this six off Sams was as famous, skying it straight up however in some way he saved the excessive elbow agency and punched it with the regulation downward bat swing.
Even Virat Kohli would say later that he was simply awed by among the pictures from Surya. “Absolute clarity in what he wants to do. He has the game to bat under any sort of situation and any condition. He has shown that already. He got a hundred in England, he batted beautifully in the Asia Cup. Here, he’s striking the ball as well as I have seen him strike. For the past 6 months, he’s been outstanding. It’s the array of shots and to play those shots at the right time is such a tremendous skill. He’s a guy who knows his game inside out. He’s got the gift of timing and I was in awe watching him play his shots.”
The batting coach Vikram Rathour, a really high-quality home participant who by no means fairly made it at worldwide degree, as soon as caressed a six off Shaun Pollock that had even Tendulkar, the non-striker, flip to gape on the trajectory of the six. Rathour had leaned ahead a contact and wafted his bat on the up and thru the road of a short-of-length supply over long-on. It was most likely the very best shot of his profession in opposition to a pacer. But Surya did it after transferring down the pitch and over long-off.
Now, why do we are saying it’s simpler over long-on. Just watch Tendulkar six the opposite day in opposition to Tremlett. When a batsman isn’t as much as the pitch and the ball rises up from wanting size, he can flex his wrist to journey the bounce and go throughout the road, if you’ll like a tennis forehand cross courtroom. But if he chooses to go along with the road of the outside-off ball, over long-off, it’s troublesome to journey the bounce.
That’s why Tendulkar neatly would tilt his bat a contact extra horizontally to whack the ball on its head, reasonably than come down and up like Surya did. But extremely, Suryakumar Yadav managed to unfurl the shot and get Shastri stressing his bhai.
