Following India's massive run-fest victory over Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed a mix of joy and caution.
While
the Indian batters broke records and secured a vital win in the Super 8 stage, the captain admitted that the bowlers need to step up before their next big challenge.
Forgetting Ahmedabad and Finding Positivity
After a heavy defeat against South Africa in Ahmedabad, India was under immense pressure. However, Suryakumar revealed that the team used a special presentation created by the support staff.
"I think we wanted to leave everything behind. We didn't think too much about what we did in the league stage or what we did in the last game in Ahmedabad. But thoroughly, we had a slide which our video analyst had made for all the batters and all the bowlers, what we did over the year. We saw that slide, took a lot of positivity from that. And when we came here, I think with contributions from all the batters from top till number seven, I think it was heartening to see. "
Praise for Zimbabwe and Bowling Concerns
Even though India posted a mammoth total, the bowlers leaked runs in the second half of the game. Suryakumar was honest in his assessment of the bowling unit while giving full respect to the fighting spirit shown by the Zimbabwean batters, the captain explained: "To be very honest, we could have been a little bit more clinical with the ball, but it's fine at the end of the day. Win is a win, but we'll take it when we move forward. But yeah, we'll tighten our screws when we go and play West Indies. I don't want to take any credit away from the batters, the Zimbabwean batters. I think they batted beautifully. Yes, the wicket was good, but the way they batted, they took their own time in the powerplay and they later on batted very smartly and credit goes to them as well. But yeah, from the bowling point of view, we could have been a little bit smarter to take those nice options. "
Looking Ahead to the West Indies Clash
India's next assignment is a virtual knockout game against the dangerous West Indies team at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Suryakumar emphasized that the team will need to make brave decisions to succeed.
"I think when we are in such situations, we'll have to be more courageous in taking calls and there's no other option other than taking that positive route. When we reach Kolkata, definitely we'll sit down, think about that game. But currently, a day off tomorrow, travel and relax," the India captain added.
