With India taking on New Zealand in the third and final T20I of their three-match series at McLean Park in Napier on Tuesday, all eyes will be on star batter Suryakumar Yadav. The MI star smacked an unbeaten ton to help India win the second T20I and also take a crucial 1-0 lead, with the first T20I getting abandoned without a ball bowled. Suryakumar is also ICC's No. 1 T20I batter in the world, so it wasn't surprising to see Ross Taylor's reaction, when asked about how his countrymen should bowl to the 32-year-old.
Suryakumar slammed 111 runs off 51 balls, packed with 11 fours and seven sixes, as India reached 191 for six in 20 overs in the second T20I, posting a target of 192 runs. Chasing the target, the hosts were bowled out for 126 in 18.5 overs, with Deepak Hooda bagging a four-wicket haul. Helping India win by 65 runs, Suryakumar also got the Man of the Match award.
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Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Taylor had an amazing solution for New Zealand bowlers, when up against Suryakumar. He said, "Bowl to the other guy as much as you can. At the end of the day, he is human and he will make mistakes. When you have a 50-50 chance, you have to take it. But the way he is batting at the moment, you know he was hitting sixes at the MCG and they were going 10, 15 rows back. If he hits it like that at McLean Park, they will be out of the ground."
Giving his verdict on McLean Park, the venue for the final and deciding T20I, he said, "It is an intimidating place and some of these Indian bowlers have been here before. But some of those Indian players, who haven't been to Napier, it can be an intimidating place."
{{/usCountry}}Giving his verdict on McLean Park, the venue for the final and deciding T20I, he said, "It is an intimidating place and some of these Indian bowlers have been here before. But some of those Indian players, who haven't been to Napier, it can be an intimidating place."
{{/usCountry}}After the final T20I, India will also face New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, starting from Friday.