Virat and Surya, it’s a thing

They are different but as a partnership they work and it shows in their numbers since the 2021 World Cup

SYDNEY: Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav are an unlikely pairing. Kohli is 33, Yadav is 32. But they have never played together at state-level, agegroup cricket or in the IPL till during the England series in 2021. The school of batting is distinctly dissimilar as well. Kohli’s is more orthodox, side-on with a narrower stance in a brand of batting that grows on you. But Yadav is more momentous in his approach, taking fewer balls to take off and rarely piping down. Together, they have made for a prolific partnership, one that has averaged 77.16 across eight innings since the last T20 World Cup, with two hundred-run and fifty-run stands each, the latest coming in the form of an unbeaten 95-run stand against Netherlands on Thursday.

The last line of stats comes with the statutory warning of not attaching too importance to the numbers. And yet the facets of this pairing need to be dissected because this is what has kept India going quite frequently—against Australia (104), against South Africa (102) and now against Netherlands. Every time they are together for a considerable time, India’s batting averages improve, making no target impossible. As an alliance, it makes sense as well. Yadav is on a different plane, improving from a strike rate of 155.41 last year to 184.86 and rising this year. Kohli’s batting is more gradual, starting with singles, twos and more proper shots till he finally explodes. It’s exactly the kind of partnership a No 3 and No 4 is expected to provide in white-ball cricket, only with lesser balls in T20.

From a larger context, Yadav’s brand of batting is necessary in breaking the pattern of Kohli, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma starting almost similarly. You could also say to some extent, Yadav deflects the attention off all three, allowing them just that extra bit of time to get their eye in. Netherlands bowler Paul van Meekeren was talking about how Yadav has changed the scenario by emerging as the biggest threat among Indian batters.

“Over the last 12 months, if not longer, I’ve personally felt he was the biggest threat to bowl to,” he said after India’s 56-run win over Netherlands here on Thursday. “Just with his open stance, I just felt that the margin of error was a lot smaller compared to Kohli and maybe a bit more traditional. They’re very good players in their own right, and Rohit played some unbelievable shots. When I was bowling, I felt the biggest pressure came when I was bowling to Sky. Obviously, if you miss a little bit, he punishes you. Same with other guys, but he did just a little bit more today.”

Any T20 bowler is ready to concede more twos and the occasional boundary than a flurry of boundaries and sixes. Yadav spells out that difference these days. That doesn’t necessarily make him the best batter in this Indian line-up, but bowlers and analysts now can’t ignore the threat perception that comes with his batting. And with Kohli, Yadav just seems a more well-rounded threat. “The thoughts and the plans are very clear depending upon the situation when I’m going in to bat,” said Yadav after Thursday’s match.

“I look for boundaries, try to hit the gaps and run hard. You know, when you are batting with him (Kohli), you have to run hard as well. He just clears your thoughts. I mean, when I was batting and when I was a little confused when I was inside, he was just coming up to me and telling me what delivery can you expect now from that bowler. So it’s a very good camaraderie, and I’m really enjoying batting with him right now.

For someone who can be so intense about carrying the batting

Ave

Runs single-handedly, Kohli has also shown remarkable grace in playing the supporting act. If he gets the hint that Yadav is in the mood (which he is making a habit of), Kohli stands down and keeps rotating the strike.

It happened against Australia in Hyderabad, where Yadav ran away with the game hitting a 69 off 36. Kohli set up that chase, asked Yadav to take centre stage and finished on 63 off 48. Guwahati, against South Africa, too went that way as Yadav blasted 61 off 22 once again after Kohli (49* off 28) played his part. This time too against the Dutch, both did exactly what they are supposed to do, only a tad slower because of the used pitch. But the essence of their partnership is the same—Kohli is the failsafe option to Yadav’s pyrotechnics. If both stick to their strengths, India can’t falter.

“I feel we respect each other’s game when we are batting together,” said Yadav. “For example, if I am getting a few boundaries from one end, then he tries to rotate and to keep the intent to look for good shots. It’s just the respect we have for each of us when we are batting together. We just enjoy batting with each other and what shots he plays. We try to run as hard as possible. So, it’s a great thing, and I’m really looking forward to having more partnerships with him.”