Colombo, February 14 Skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged that India's batting had been inconsistent in the opening two matches of the ongoing T20 World Cup, but was confident of neutralizing Pakistan's Usman Tariq's sling-spin, whom he described as an "unconventional" question during a match.
"See, sometimes there is a question in the exam that is not part of the syllabus. So, we can't ignore that question. To deal with it, you have to find your own way. Yes, he is a different bowler," the Indian skipper said at the pre-match conference.
"But at the same time, we can't give up. We practice with bowlers and actions similar to his. We will try to execute what we practice in the net sessions," Suryakumar said. India were reduced to 77 for six by the USA, and then Namibia took five wickets for four runs in the final overs, exposing weaknesses in their batting.
Now, set to play on the slow-turning Premadasa pitch here on Sunday, the Indian batters will face Pakistan's spin attack led by Tariq, whose unusual pause and delivery action has sparked debate about its legality in the cricketing world.
"We had a difficult start. You can't ignore the fact that it wasn't a typical T20 wicket. But I said earlier that you can't simply ignore it. There is no excuse," Suryakumar said on the eve of the match.
"But we came back strongly. That's the beauty of T20 cricket. Taking responsibility, I think, allows us to succeed," he added.
However, Surya knew that his team would face a challenge from the Pakistani spinners here. The Mumbai-based cricketer also said that playing against Pakistan is all about handling pressure and staying calm.
"Yes, there will be pressure. As I said, you can't ignore the pressure. There will be nerves and anxiety when we start the game tomorrow. But, at the same time, if there is no pressure, no anxiety, then there's no fun in playing cricket.
"And, yeah, it's a big occasion. But, at the end of the day, it's just another game. You have to use your skills, play good cricket, and focus on what you want to improve. Then we'll see what happens," he said.
Regardless of the nature of the pitch, Surya said the team would stick to their aggressive cricket template.
Surya knew that Pakistan had been in Sri Lanka for the past fortnight, but remained unfazed, and relied on his team's experience to succeed.
"They might have an advantage. But as I said, we have been here before, we have played in these conditions, we know how the pitch plays. It's like the same situation for both teams. See, it's definitely challenging to play in Sri Lanka.
"But at the end of the day, you have to challenge yourself, find a solution, and play well," he noted.
