With the series level at 1-1, Team India will be aiming for a win in the third and final ODI against England, at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday. The visitors were humbled in the second ODI with Reece Topley taking a six-wicket haul as England won by 100 runs. The match could also be considered a decider with the Test series ending as a 2-2 draw and India clinching the T20Is.
Despite the defeat breaking India's momentum, Suryakumar Yadav feels the visitors are 'focused' and 'excited' for the decider. During the pre-match press conference, he was also asked about India’s defeat in the final Test at Edgbaston, to which he humorously replied, "Test match toh sir last year ka tha na?"
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"I think we are not thinking too much. There is a game in hand tomorrow. We are completely focused on that game. Yes, the T20 series is gone, we won that and are happy about it. One-day series is 1-1 and we are very excited. It's beautiful ground. It is a beautiful wicket as well, so we are very excited for tomorrow's game", he further added.
Since his exploits in IPL, the 31-year-old has slowly become a vital cog in the Indian unit and also registered a century during the T20I series. During the second ODI, he registered 27 runs off 29 balls but couldn't prevent a defeat. Also, the presence of Rohit Sharma as captain has helped him to stay motivated, with the 35-year-old also his MI skipper.
{{/usCountry}}Since his exploits in IPL, the 31-year-old has slowly become a vital cog in the Indian unit and also registered a century during the T20I series. During the second ODI, he registered 27 runs off 29 balls but couldn't prevent a defeat. Also, the presence of Rohit Sharma as captain has helped him to stay motivated, with the 35-year-old also his MI skipper.
{{/usCountry}}Praising Rohit's captaincy, Suryakumar also said, "Camaraderie has been really good. He's been watching me and talking about my cricket since I played domestic cricket".
"Coming into IPL in 2018-19 we used to talk about how I can improve my game, handle pressure situations and move forward. We have had a lot of chats about my game and I have literally felt him on the ground whenever he's leading. I have learnt a lot from him."
"I'm really happy he has shown a lot of confidence in me. I would like to pay back that confidence by scoring runs and winning the game for the team", he further added.