India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted that senior batters, including himself and vice-captain Shubman Gill, failed to shoulder responsibility during the team’s 51-run loss to South Africa in the second T20I on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 214 on a good batting surface, India were bowled out for 162 after a top-order collapse inside the powerplay.
Abhishek Sharma provided a brisk start with 17 off 8 balls, but Gill was dismissed for a first-ball duck and Suryakumar fell for 5, leaving India in early trouble.
“I think myself, Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time. The way he's been batting, he might have an off-day. Me, Shubman and few other batters should have taken it,” Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation.
Accepting responsibility for the failed chase, he added, “I think it would have been a smart chase. But then it's okay, Shubman got out on the first ball. But I should have taken that responsibility, batted a little deeper. But as I said we learn, we try and do better in the next game to come.”
India’s surprising decision to send Axar Patel at No. 3 drew attention after the all-rounder managed a run-a-ball 21 that slowed the momentum in a high-scoring pursuit.
Suryakumar explained the thinking but acknowledged the move had backfired. “We just thought in the last game that we have seen Axar bat really well in the longer format. So we wanted him to bat the same way today as well. But unfortunately, it didn’t work. He did bat well. But we will see what's up for us going on in the next game.”
The bowling unit also struggled, with Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah conceding a combined nine sixes on a dew-affected outfield.
Bumrah in particular appeared to be aiming for yorkers, which frequently turned into full tosses.
“We could have just come back nicely because we bowled first and then later on they realized how the lengths are important on this wicket. But yeah, it's a learning process. Just learn and move forward. A little bit of dew as well and also if it wasn't working, we should have had a second plan, but we didn't go to that,” Suryakumar said.
He added that India observed and adapted from South Africa’s approach with the ball. “We learned how they bowled in the second innings. We learned from that and then we try and execute in the next game.”
