After his team defeated Australia in the five-match Twenty20 International series on Saturday, captain Suryakumar Yadav stated that when Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill bat together at the top of the order, they make everyone happy and are learning the various aspects of handling different match situations in the shortest format.
Before bad weather ended the match, India galloped to 52 for no loss in 4.5 overs. Abhishek (23 off 13 balls) and Gill (29 off 16 balls) had barely begun to match each other stroke for stroke when things came to a halt.
“When Abhishek and Shubman bat together at the top of the order they put a smile on the faces of fans,” Surya told reporters before explaining what makes the pair ‘Abhi-man’ tick.
“If the wicket is difficult, like the last game in (Gold Coast), they read the wicket well. They finished the Powerplays without taking risks and batted after that. People learn with experience. They communicate well and they are learning,” said the India skipper.
He believes that, in contrast to popular belief, a batter always has a little more time than what is depicted in T20.
“You have more time than you feel. There are 120 balls. If you take 4-5 balls extra, it doesn’t matter,” the skipper noted.
The southpaw opener quickly joked when it was mentioned that Gill and Abhishek are similar to “Fire and Ice.”
“Sir hum fire ‘n’ ice nahi, hum fire and fire hain (We are fire, and fire not fire ‘n’ ice). There was no ice, it was only fire today,” Abhishek laughed referring to Gill’s short but attractive knock on the day.
“I know his game, which bowlers he will target and vice-versa with him. There are times, he will come and tell me, ‘wait for a few deliveries and then play this particular shot’. We have been roommates since childhood and that understanding is there,” he said.
Abhishek is aware of this, and since all of the best teams are analyzing his game, he will need to consider methods to get better and expand his repertoire.
“The more I will play for India, the better I will get at reading pitches and accordingly plan my game.”
Leading a skilled group is a delight for captain Surya.
“I am very lucky to have different boys with different skills and bring different things to the table. People enjoy when they are together on the ground, we are sticking to our template for the last 6-8 months. Friendships are being forged. The younger bowlers are picking Boom’s (Jasprit Bumrah) brain, learning from him.”
