Hardik bowling in intra-squad game is good sign, feels Suryakumar Yadav

By PTI

COLOMBO: Hardik Pandya bowling during an intra-squad game is a “good sign”, feels dashing India batsman Suryakumar Yadav, who believes that the bowler and the team management would take a call on his workload during the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka from July 13.

Pandya’s bowling has been an issue since he underwent a back surgery in 2019 and since then has bowled sporadically, which has led to his non-selection in Test format.

Yadav also said that not only in intra-squad game but the colourful Baroda all-rounder is also bowling in the nets.

“He (Hardik) did bowl in the England series. During the IPL, he did not bowl. He bowled in the intra-squad game and he bowled in the nets. So, it is his and the team management’s call on how they want to go about it, but yes, he is bowling. That’s a very good sign,” Yadav said during an online media interaction.

He also didn’t pay much heed to World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s comments about India sending a second string team as Virat Kohli and the first team stars are in England for the Test series.

“We are not thinking about that, we are just here to have some fun, enjoy this series and take a lot of positives from here,” Yadav said.

Talking about positives, this is the first time that Yadav would be working with Rahul Dravid.

“It is a great opportunity for everyone, having a tour amid this situation, it is a great challenge and responsibility for each and everyone to come out here and express themselves.

“And the great thing is having Rahul (Dravid) sir around, I have heard a lot about him.I think this is my first tour with him but I have heard a lot from many players that he is very calm and composed when it  comes to this role,” added the 30-year-old.

The high of a successful debut series behind him, Yadav said he would be looking to “start from the scratch”.

Yadav made his India debut in the T20 format during the home series against England, in which he scored a half century and was generally impressive.

“Pressure will be there, because if there is no pressure, there is no fun, so as I said, it will be a great challenge and I am really looking forward to it,” said the aggressive right-handed Mumbai batsman.

Asked if a successful debut series would help him cope better with the pressure, Yadav said, “I think, that (debut series against England) was a completely different challenge and every-time you come, I mean for a batter, every-time you go in or play a different game, you start from scratch.”

“So, this (tour) also I have to start from zero and that was a different series and this is a different series, but the challenge remains the same, I have to go out in the park and perform the same way, what I did,” Yadav added in a virtual press-conference.

The Mumbai player also said that his job with the national side is the same as it is for his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

“I think I have been doing the same thing what I did for my franchise back in the IPL. When I made my debut, the same happened, I did not do anything different, it was all the same.”

“I have been enjoying that role really well in whatever position they send me to bat, I will be the same. I just go out and express the same way on how I do in every game and I really enjoy it,” he added.

Yadav also bushed aside suggestions that adapting to the conditions would be a challenge here.

“We have played in these conditions, we play in Mumbai, Chennai, where heat is heavy, humidity is high, and most importantly we have come here 15-20 days early to get acclimatised to these conditions, it will be fine,” he said.

According to Yadav, the team atmosphere is very relaxed.