They are referring to Suryakumar Yadav’s powerful punch over covers for a six as the shot of the series. It was really interesting. What wrong did (the bowler) Alzari Joseph do? Asks Daren Sammy, a former West Indies captain and batsman who is no stranger to smashing massive sixes. Almost nothing. Surya wasn’t content to punch it for a couple despite the fact that it was a back-of-length delivery aimed at the off stump. He wasn’t in a slog mode either; in fact, he rarely is. He primarily uses the calculated “shape-holding” T20 batting approach. Hold your form, stretch your upper body, fully extend your arms, and work to keep your balance even when it’s about to go over—and bam! The majority of the time, it boils down to how he stands in a shot.
In his standard posture, Surya is a little more open than usual, with his back foot parallel to the wicket and almost edging the off stump. The front leg is extended toward the ground. The front leg now raises a little and presses down just before Joseph’s delivery touches the pitch. He only required that for placement and power. Why did he decide to take this image, then? Maybe the length, Not the line, for sure. Surya appeared to be prepared, so he either anticipated it or picked up the length way early. He could go up, under, and punch on the up because of the length. To get his body into the proper position, he needed to make a few small adjustments. He is essentially stationary after the front leg lifts and presses.
He cannot afford to move his body to the left or right or to take any action since even the smallest movement has the potential to disrupt the entire system, causing the trajectory to change, the momentum to be lost, and the power to wane. It might rise straight up and miss the man in the depths of the cover. He, therefore, begins to move, but just a little. The ball vigorously thrusts upward as the arms move under it. The full extension of the arms and retention of the position is not just for show or ego. It is what is required to start the trajectory, the power, and the distance covered by the ball. It’s referred to as keeping the shape. The upright upper body maintains the shape as he approaches the apogee of his arms, and the right foot just almost moves to maintain the stance for that extra instant. For harmony. Just that. The white ball was hurled from behind the additional protection. When it came to big striking, there was a rumor that Surya was more at ease on the leg side in 2018 or 2019. Mahela Jayawardene, the coach of the Mumbai Indians, conducted a discussion about the team’s improvement of the strike rate.
“In 2019, he (Jayawardene) sat down with me and discussed what I should do both during and after the powerplay. He clearly desired that I improve as a cricketer at that time and contribute more by being a little bit smarter. He simply sat next to me and said, “It’s upon you fully.” He only offered one piece of advice: whenever you’re batting following the powerplay, try to hit lots of gaps, take plenty of doubles, and run hard between the wickets. The strike rate will also be incredible. So I simply repeated my actions.
He doesn’t recall having any special conversations with Jayawardene regarding the off-side play, but he had made the decision to improve his all-around performance. “Yeah, I knew I had to train really hard on my batting again because various individuals will have different ideas,” he continued. “As a result, I had to check every box or cover every area, which I couldn’t do the first year with my team. He has advanced to become one of the top T20 batsmen in the world after being asked to take singles and twos instead of trying to cover all bases. This image from the Caribbean would stick in the mind even if it is part of a sequence that will probably soon be forgotten. The incredulity in Sammy’s voice best encapsulates the shot’s excellence. You know you’re on the right path when a man who has “been there, done that” respects you. Sure enough, Suryakumar Yadav is.”
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