Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain believes in-form Team India batter Suryakumar Yadav is capable of translating his stunning white-ball form into Test cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Salman Butt noted that Suryakumar Yadav has toiled hard for several years in domestic cricket. He opined that the dynamic batter just needs to make minor tweaks to his game to be able to succeed in Tests.
Salman Butt: Suryakumar Yadav Needs To Make Slight Adjustments To Adapt To Tests
The 38-year-old suggested that Suryakumar Yadav would be able to score big runs if he is able to adapt his game as per the requirements of different sessions.
Salman Butt explained: “Suryakumar Yadav has a lot of experience playing domestic cricket. I think he knows the longer format very well. He should be aware that he will have to adapt to red-ball cricket.
“You need to change your shot selection a bit, focusing on playing to your strengths. Time management is also a very important aspect. You need to make slight adjustments depending on the sessions. With his experience, he should be able to produce good results.”
Suryakumar Yadav could make his much-awaited Test debut during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The four-match Test series between India and Australia is set to begin in Nagpur on February 9.
Notably, the star middle-order batter featured in two matches for Mumbai in the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy 2023. He impressed many with his batting exploits, mustering 233 runs in three innings at an average of 74.33.
Salman Butt: Suryakumar Yadav Is Very High On Confidence Due To His Red Hot Form In Limited Overs Cricket
Salman Butt further stated that Suryakumar Yadav won’t find it difficult to transition into red-ball cricket. He claimed that the right-handed batter’s superlative form in limited-overs cricket will help him in the longer format as well. He emphasized that the Indian batter has proved his worth in international cricket, citing his impressive record in T20Is.
The 32-year-old Suryakumar Yadav was the highest-run getter in T20Is in 2022, having smashed 1164 runs in 31 games at a stunning strike rate of 187.44, including two blistering centuries. His inclusion in the Indian team has added flare to the batting line-up as he has been someone who has taken the attack to the opposition right from the get-go.
Suryakumar Yadav set the T20 World Cup 2022 on fire with his blistering performances. He scored 239 runs in six games played in the T20 carnival and at an exceptional strike rate of 189.68. He was India’s 2nd highest run scorer and overall 3rd (after Virat Kohli-296, Max O’ Dowd-242) in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 with 239 runs averaging 59.75 at a strike rate of 189.68.
Suryakumar Yadav became the No.1 T20I batter after a superb showing in the Super 12 stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where he smashed three fifties in five innings.
The former opener added: “He is very high on confidence thanks to his tremendous form in white-ball cricket. That is going to help him when he plays Test matches. He has been playing first-class cricket for nearly a decade, which is quite good for a player of his ability.
“When someone performs in such a top-class fashion in international cricket, it means that surely is very intelligent and a quick thinker. I don’t think it will be very tough for him.”
Suryakumar Yadav will next be seen in action during the Men in Blue’s forthcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The series opener will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18.