Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik. Image Credits: Twitter

India will be looking to win the ODI series against Australia before their International break for at least two months due to the impending Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. As of now, the series is currently levelled on 1-1, and the next game is on March 22 in Chennai.

India’s new batting sensation, Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) has failed miserably in the first two ODI matches, he got dismissed on a golden duck on both occasions. Dinesh Karthik has suggested Rohit Sharma-led side, play SKY at the 6th position and send Hardik Pandya to the 4th spot.

Surya Kumar Yadav in 2nd ODI
Surya Kumar Yadav in 2nd ODI. Image Credits: Twitter

Karthik feels Surya should be back in the absence of Shreyas Iyer-

He would have gotten out on those two deliveries even in T20s. It is not that because it is ODIs, he is getting out. This is high-quality bowling irrespective of the format,”

He played the two ODIs now and prior to that he didn’t play consistently. Shreyas Iyer was the preferred No.4 and rightfully so and Surya was the back-up option. Where we need to be with Surya is remind ourselves of the talent he is,” said the veteran Indian wicketkeeper.

Indian ace batter Suryakumar was dismissed on the very first ball bowled by Mitchell Starc in both games, it nips back, then the appeal raises and the umpires gave him out, on both occasions, it was like the scene-to-scene copy-paste for SKY.

What I like to see is can they fit in Surya at a different place to get the best out of him. I feel, Hardik enjoys batting up top so is there a possibility of sending him at No.4 and Surya at six. It is so because when you give him 15-18 overs, the way he is able to turn the game on its head is very very good,”

And irrespective of whether there are 5 or 4 fielders inside the circle he is able to hit boundaries at will and make a mockery out of the captain. When you give Surya lesser overs, 14-18 overs, he is at his venomous best. Suryakumar in ODIs is a non-negotiable,” concluded DK.

The number one T20I batter in the world failed to capitalize on the limited opportunity provided to him in the ODI format. Suryakumar Yadav has scored only 2 half-centuries in the 21 matches he has played so far in ODIs. The 32-year-old has so far scored 433 runs in 21 matches at an average of 27.06 and his best score is 64 not out.

While, the 32-year-old not so impressive performance in the 50-over format, it is likely that Rohit Sharma might go for the other players like Sanju Samson for the decider game, after the conclusion of the IND VS AUS 2023 ODI series, IPL 2023 will commence on 31st March.

Also read: IND vs AUS: Sanju Samson Can Be Given Chance In The Final ODI – Wasim Jaffer On Suryakumar Yadav’s Poor Form