‘Can happen to anyone’: Rohit Sharma backs Suryakumar Yadav despite hat-trick of golden ducks vs Australia

Australia emerged victorious in the three-match ODI series against India, marking a rare home series defeat for the Men in Blue. The Aussies clinched the series with a 2-1 margin, leaving the Indian team and fans disappointed. This was India’s first ODI series defeat at home since 2019.

The series was particularly disappointing for Suryakumar Yadav, who failed to score a single run in any of the games. Yadav was expected to cement his place in the ODI squad in the absence of the injured Shreyas Iyer, but he failed to deliver. In fact, Yadav registered three consecutive golden ducks in the three games of the series, becoming the first Indian batter to achieve this embarrassing feat.

During the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma candidly discussed Suryakumar Yadav’s performance in the ODI series against Australia. Despite SKY’s struggles, Sharma expressed his unwavering support for the talented batsman. Additionally, Sharma provided insight into the decision to send SKY lower down the order in the final ODI at Chennai.

“He only played three balls in three (games) this series. I don’t know how much to look into it. He got three good balls, to be honest. Today, it wasn’t that good ball; he should have gone forward. He knows best. He plays spin so well. We have seen that over last couple of years. That’s why we held him back and give him that role for the last 15-20 overs where he can play his game, but it’s really unfortunate he could only play three balls. That can happen to anyone. But the potential and ability is always there. He is just going through that phase right now,” the Indian skipper said after the game.

Suryakumar Yadav faced a tough challenge in the first two matches as he was dismissed by the pace of Mitchell Starc. On both occasions, he was out LBW to inswinging deliveries. However, in the final game, left-arm spinner Ashton Agar proved to be his downfall as he was clean bowled for another golden duck.

This poor performance has raised questions about Yadav’s place in the 50-over format, despite being the no.1 T20I batter.

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