VIZAG: Skipper Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to go with specialist bowler Arshdeep Singh in place of batsman Ishan Kishan, who suffered from nausea, did not yield the desired result in the fourth T20I against New Zealand on Wednesday. Chasing 216, India suffered a 50-run deficit at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, but the captain was unfazed as he knew going into battle was a gamble. And as he revealed in the post-match presentation, he wanted to put the team in that situation and see how they would handle it.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“We deliberately played six overs. We wanted to have five bowlers and challenge ourselves. We wanted those who are part of the World Cup squad. We were batting well first, we wanted to see how we bat when we are two or three behind 180-200,” he said.
Shivam Dube Press Conference: On changing mindsets, reading bowlers and dominating the middle innings
Sanju Samson’s struggles continued to compound his pre-World Cup woes, but it was Shivam Dube who did well with a 23-ball 65, with three boundaries and seven sixes. He also raced to India’s third-fastest fifty in 15 deliveries.The primary reason for Dube’s inclusion was to take down the opposition spinners and become an enforcer at the death. On Wednesday, he hit Ish Sodhi for 29 in his third over – with three huge sixes and two fours – before taking on pacer Jacob Duffy and clearing the ropes twice to keep India in the hunt.
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Dube revealed that he is also working on his game against the pacers.“The matches are important. They (team management) want me to take on the spinners. That’s my role, to get a high strike in the middle overs. But it’s not only against the spinners but also against the fast bowlers. I know where my strength is,” he told reporters.Dube also felt that he was now more mature and had more internationals under his belt. “I am improving my thinking because I am batting in such situations. Now bowling a lot thanks to Gauti bhai (coach Gautam Gambhir) and Surya. They also gave me opportunities to bowl. When you play, you become smarter. I bat in this situation and I can think what the bowlers are planning,” he added. Since becoming an integral part of the team, the all-rounder has worked to improve all aspects of the game. “I’m working hard to develop other skills. When you play matches regularly, that experience comes in handy. It’s important for me to improve every game. I try to be a little bit better and smarter with every game,” he said.Asked about his 15-ball fifty, he said: “I tried to play the ball on merit. The kind of conversation we have with the captain and the coach, we play the situation. When I see an opportunity to attack, I go for it. That’s where I try to keep the pace.” Dube sent Mitchell Santner over midwicket for a six off the first ball he faced, and the New Zealand captain expressed his admiration for Dube’s power hitting skills.“I’ve seen him do that a lot. When a spinner gets going, he knows it’s a good match for him. He takes it on. If he’s like that, it’s pretty hard to stop him,” Santner said.
