Playing "normal cricket" is a big deal

Before the crucial India-Australia clash in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav's childhood coach, Ashok Aswalkar, has provided some unique advice for the explosive Indian batter. As India gears up for the important match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia, Aswalkar has stressed the significance of sticking to traditional cricket and avoiding unnecessary experimentation against the Australian team.

With Australia in a desperate situation after a surprising loss to Afghanistan, Aswalkar's advice holds a lot of weight. He commended India's consistently strong performance and highlighted the exceptional form of their star bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who has already taken 10 wickets in just five games during the tournament.

In this T20 World Cup, India's strategy has mainly revolved around their pace attack, despite having four spinners in the squad. Aswalkar supported this decision, pointing to the leadership of Rohit Sharma and the effectiveness of Kuldeep Yadav on slower pitches.

Suryakumar Yadav has been a standout performer for India, scoring two half-centuries in the tournament, including a crucial one against Afghanistan. Aswalkar advised Suryakumar to play without pressure and offered specific advice to wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

"He needs some time. He has hitting power and India has to utilise it somewhere. Rishabh Pant is playing the wrong shots and losing his wicket. Suryakumar, Rishabh and all are performing well. I just advise the wicketkeeper-batter to not play the reverse shot. I want Suryakumar to play without any pressure," Aswalkar said.

Reflecting on Afghanistan's historic win over Australia, Aswalkar acknowledged Afghanistan's bowling prowess and cautioned against underestimating them in future matches. He noted that Australia's complacency contributed to their defeat and emphasised the potential of Afghanistan's bowlers to challenge any team in the World Cup.

India currently leads Group 1 with four points, while Australia and Afghanistan each have two points. Bangladesh is yet to secure a win in the Super Eight stage. The upcoming match between India and Australia is crucial for both teams' hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.