By: BCCI
There are few sights in world cricket that look as pleasing to the eye as the bat flow and rhythm of Yuvraj Singh. That bat swing from high above the shoulder, that body swivel to get into the right hitting position and the whip to dispatch the ball over the ropes – all so synonymous to his book of batting were on full display in an 18-ball innings against Sri Lanka in Mirpur. Three sixes in trademark Yuvraj style and three boundaries full of confidence was reason enough to bring back glimpses of the cricket ball marauder that he has always been known as.
“Today was one of those days where I felt my flow was back,” Yuvraj told BCCI.TV. “I needed a bit of a flow out there to feel good. I felt being positive out there when I got a few hits off my bat. I felt that my game is back. I just needed some time in the middle. I have been trying to get as much batting time as possible and I believe I have been picking up slowly,” he said.
Right from the moment he walked out to bat and sent the second ball he faced to the boundary with ease, you could sense positivity oozing out of him. That positivity only continued in the very next over when he found liking towards left-arm spinner Rangana Herath hitting him for two huge sixes with relative ease. “I was assessing which bowlers I am going to attack and which bowlers I won’t,” Yuvraj said.
“I told myself that if a left-arm spinner is bowling, then I am going to go and attack straight away. Any left-hand batsman who can hit sixes will go after left-arm spin. If an off-spinner is bowling, a right-hander is bound to target him and go after him. You have a game plan when you walk out to bat and at times it works and at times it doesn’t. Tonight I just wanted to be positive and hit the ball straight away and deliver for the team,” he elaborated.
Yuvraj has not set the scoreboards on fire ever since he made a comeback in the shortest format, but time and again, he has received the backing of captain MS Dhoni, who has stressed on the importance on giving him more time in the middle, which will only help him get into the groove. “The more time he gets in the middle, the better it will be for him,” Dhoni said later. “When you are making a comeback to the international team there are a lot of expectations from the people and pressure on yourself to perform. The first few games that you play after making a comeback go in analyzing your game and assessing whether you want to go out there and play the big shots.
“At that time when you don’t get runs, you put more pressure on yourself. Yuvraj’s approach has always been good and he plays the big shots after giving himself sometime in the middle. He is someone who can hit sixes at will and if the build-up continues like this slowly, I feel he will be in a very good position before the start of the World Cup.”
Rightly so, even Yuvraj stressed on the importance of spending quality time with the bat in the middle. In that context, even his unbeaten 32-ball 14 against Pakistan in a low-scoring run-chase was of utmost importance.
“Last game, it was a different situation where we needed to take a spell out and get a partnership going. I took my time out there where I could leave a lot of balls and get a partnership going along with Virat Kohli. It was a small total so I could take a lot of time. This game we needed more than seven runs an over so it was important for me to be positive tonight. I just wanted to go and get my flow back. Once my flow is back, I feel that I belong here. I take a lot of confidence from this innings because I needed a few big hits and when you are striking the ball like I was today, it gives you a lot of confidence going into the next games.”
Yuvraj also had words of appreciation for teammate Kohli, who shared a 51-run partnership with him and brought up his second consecutive match-winning performance in the process. “I feel he has been in the form of his life for the last five to six years. He has been very consistent and he knows his role really well. He is batting beautifully and I hope he continues to do that.”
On a night that saw shades of Yuvraj from the past, India would only want him to continue from where he left. Yuvraj too echoed the same thought on a parting note. “I want to get better every game. Hopefully, I can continue this good run ahead. I believe it is my responsibility to go and change the game (scenario) for the team. Hopefully, I can do it more than once.”
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