As he watched India captain Suryakumar Yadav finally showcase the variety of shots for which he is renowned, Shivam Dube had the best seat in the house.
In the second Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Raipur on Friday, Suryakumar scored his maiden fifty-plus after 23 innings, silencing his critics ahead of the T20 World Cup at home next month.
The Indian captain roared back to form with a scorching 82 off 37 balls, including four sixes and nine fours. He and Dube shared an undefeated 81-run partnership as India easily chased down New Zealand’s 209-run total, winning by 7 wickets with 4.4 overs to spare. Considering the left-right combination, Dube batted ahead of Hardik Pandya and scored 36 off 18 balls.
“I was asked about Surya’s form in a press conference not so long ago. That’s when I said that he is the type of player, when he will show his form, the world will know what type of player he is. So, today he showed Suryakumar Yadav, why he is the number one T20 batter. So, I enjoyed a lot. And it felt really good to see him,” said Dube.
Ishan Kishan’s thrilling 32-ball 76 in his comeback series snatched the game away from the opposition prior to the Suryakumar-Dube stand.
“Ishaan is one of the best left handers I have seen. He is called a small pocket blast in the dressing room. So, I think his batting is very strong. And he has shown that what he was doing in the domestic, he got out in the last match. But he knows what he can do. He showed it tonight,” said Dube.
The left-hander said it was a batting beauty, adding that the heavy dew made conditions even tougher for the bowlers. Dube is also being used regularly as a bowling option. On Friday, he chipped in with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Daryl Mitchell with a well-disguised slower ball.
“Definitely, hard work has been put in. But it is important that the captain and the coach support me. They have backed me a lot. I have said this before also. And I have prepared myself a little. That how I will bowl, what situation I will come in. So, as a sixth bowler, whatever I get, two, three or four overs, I will try to bowl according to the situation at that time,” he added.
