SL vs IND | The way Suryakumar Yadav batted in 2nd ODI was unbelievable, reckons Kamran Akmal

07/22/2021

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal had heaped praise on India's Suryakumar Yadav and stated that the way he batted against Sri Lanka was simply unbelievable. He also added that India beat Sri Lanka's regular team, away from home, which wasn't easy and lauded their second ODI win.

There was a time in the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka when Suryakumar Yadav was batting so effortlessly that he looked unstoppable. He was able to place the ball in different areas every subsequent delivery, which was simply remarkable to see. Hailed as India's Mr.360, the 30-years-old continued to impress and brought up his maiden fifty in One-day internationals.

Though he couldn't finish off the chase, it didn't stop him from standing out among the rest of the specialist batters. He had played an eye-catching cameo in the first ODI too. Pakistan cricket expert Kamran Akmal was full of praise for India's middle-order batsman and suggested that he batted like a seasoned campaigner against the Lankan bowlers, terming his batting 'unbelievable'.

“The way Suryakumar Yadav batted, it was unbelievable. He showed the maturity and composure of a batsman who has played 70-80 ODIs. His vast experience of playing domestic cricket augured well for him. He played authoritatively during his stay at the crease but unfortunately got LBW at a crucial moment,” Kamran Akmal stated, reported HT.

India secured a memorable win from the jaws of defeat against Sri Lanka in the second OD, thanks to an 84-run eight-wicket stand between Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with the former making a brilliant half-century. With the win, the Men in Blue attained an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match series. Akmal further lauded the Shikhar Dhawan-led side and asserted that it wasn't an easy win, especially after they lost wickets in a heap.

“Credit to the Indian team. To win on the Sri Lankan soil with the young team and new coaching staff is a commendable job. Also, they did it against the regular side of the home team, which is not an easy task.

“India played very well on this tour, especially in the second ODI. Even after losing six wickets at just 160, they still managed to win the game from that dire situation,” he said.

The third and final ODI of the series will take place on July 23 in Colombo, to be followed by the three-match T20I series.