“Suryakumar Yadav should have come at No.3 instead of Tilak Varma” - Harbhajan Singh opens up on India’s 76-run loss to South Africa

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has stated that the Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav should have promoted himself up the order at No.3 ahead of Tilak Varma in the 188-run chase against South Africa in the Super8 clash on Sunday, February 22.

Advertisment

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Turbanator asserted that the defending champions India are in a tricky spot after losing their initial clash of the Super8 round. Moreover, he opined that in-form Shivam Dube should’ve come ahead of Washington Sundar, who made it to the team recently.

"I think Suryakumar Yadav should have come at No.3 instead of Tilak Varma. And when you sent out Washington Sundar No.5, it should have been Shivam Dube, because the way he played the last match, and when someone is playing with that kind of form, he should be batting ahead. Washington Sundar has only just got into the team, and he will be under more pressure to perform than Dube," Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel.

"India are a much better team than this. India are playing in a similar pattern where they are just hitting constantly. When wickets fall, the situation should be taken into consideration. In that regard, Surya did some hard work, but the rest of the batters did not show the intent that should have been shown. India are in a very tricky situation now," he added.

Delving into the details of the game, South Africa batted first after winning the toss, posting a whopping total of 187/7 in 20 overs. Dewald Brevis (45), David Miller (63) and Tristan Stubbs (44*) were the top batters in the first innings. Jasprit Bumrah scalped a three-wicket haul.

In response, India got bundled out for 111 runs in 18.5 overs, losing the game by 76 runs. Shivam Dube was the lone warrior with 42 runs in 37 balls. Marco Jansen scalped four wickets while Keshav Maharaj picked up three wickets.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!

Advertisment