Suryakumar Yadav makes his Test debut: Key stats
Suryakumar Yadav received his much-awaited maiden Test cap ahead of the India vs Australia series opener in Nagpur. SKY has already proven his mettle in the T20 format. He would now aim to shine in whites. Notably, he has been included in the XI in the absence of injured Shreyas Iyer. Here we look at SKY has fared in red-ball cricket.
Why does this story matter?
With this series being played in India, the middle-order batters will be required to tackle spin well. While Rishabh Pant is unavailable for the entire series, Iyer is out of the opener. The duo has done well in Tests with their aggressive approach and SKY now has the onus to perform the same role. Suryakumar has piped Shubman Gill to get the number-five spot.
Test cap from Ravi Shastri!
A look at SKY's numbers
Yadav, who is ruling T20I cricket, has fared pretty well in First-Class cricket. The 32-year-old debuted in the format back in 2010. He owns 5,549 runs across 79 matches. He averages a healthy 44.75. The stylish batter has slammed 14 tons and 28 fifties. The dasher scored 223 runs across three innings in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.
Can SKY fill Iyer's boots?
Filling Iyer's boots will take hardwork as the batter has been scoring consistently with an attacking approach. His Test strike rate of 65.14 is a testimony of the same. SKY strikes at 63.56 in red-ball cricket. However, he batted more aggressively in this season's Ranji Trophy, striking at 95.70. He has to tackle the spin threat of Nathan Lyon and debutant Todd Murphy.
How has he fared in white-ball cricket?
SKY has been a formidable force in T20Is. Last year, he became only the second player after Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan to slam 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year. Overall, he owns 1,675 runs in 48 T20Is at 46.53 (50s: 13, 100s: 3). 175.76 reads his strike rate. Meanwhile, he has smashed 433 runs in 20 ODIs at 28.87 (50s: 2).
Australia elected to bat first
Meanwhile, Australia skipper, Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first. Besides SKY, wicketkeeper KS Bharat has made his Test debut for India. From the Australian camp, off-spinner Todd Murphy received his maiden Test cap. Notably, India require at least three wins to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship final, irrespective of other results.
Unique feat for SKY
Meanwhile, Suryakumar, 32, scripted history in the contest as he became the first Indian player to make his debut in all three international formats after turning 30. He made his international debut in a T20I versus England in March 2021, at the age of 30 years and 181 days. His ODI debut came in July that year against Sri Lanka.
