Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has one big ODI problem no one is fixing yet

Right through the IPL, when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was tearing apart the best in the world, there was this underlying question: Why shouldn’t he be fast-tracked into the Indian team set up across formats, including Test cricket? While the 15-year-old looked set to be part of India’s T20 squad for the tour of the UK, the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, made a wise move by putting him on the plane to Sri Lanka for the A series.

Having been exposed to the fast demands of T20 and even first-class cricket, the 50-over format offered a middle ground. While scoring rates have improved in Tests, the ODIs are still caught in between.

Depending on the conditions, there is a scope for 50-over cricket to turn into an extended T20 outing or a grinding innings. The conditions in Sri Lanka for the A series have called for the latter approach, where batsmen have had to show application on two-paced pitches.

T20 Intent

Yet, in each of the four outings so far, Sooryavanshi has shown the same intent that one has seen in the IPL.

Provide rapid starts at the top. Of course, one could argue he is doing the job for the team by getting as many runs as possible when the ball is new and hard. But at the A team levels, results don’t make everything. It is the place for grooming. For domestic players to bridge the gap to the international level and eventually move higher up in the ranks. It offers selectors a clearer picture of how ready the player is.

As Sooryavanshi departed after scoring 38 off 28, falling again to a short delivery, the question is whether the right message was sent to him or not. Unlike T20S, where providing rapid starts is a non-negotiable, in 50-overs, there is still plenty of time to factor in.

Before their last group match against Afghanistan A on Thursday, India A have found themselves in precarious situations, after Sooryavanshi fell without building on his start.

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Had Sooryavanshi been told to bat the distance, it would not just have benefited the team, but his own game as well. Batting deep into a 50-over innings is an art that he needs to learn and develop as well if he wants to make the Indian team across formats. Because the reputation travels faster.

Learning curve

The question is whether he has been talked to. At the IPL, Rajasthan Royals believed it was best to leave him out in conversations and not clutter his mind with too many dos and don’ts. But in the national scheme of things, it is different. In the first match, he tried to clear the infield and was caught at mid-off. In the next, he tried to upper cut a short delivery that was too close to the body, which was caught in the cordon. Two days ago, against Sri Lanka, as the off-spinner made him fetch one that was sent wide of the off-stump, he couldn’t resist and ended up skying it.

Then came the knock on Thursday. He should have been dismissed even before he got off the mark, when the third umpire – despite grainy footage – deemed the fielder at point had touched the ground while the catch was being completed. For context, Sooryavanshi, who had a clear view of it, had started walking to the dressing room. Then on 8, he again went for the pull. This was a short delivery that was outside off-stump, but he tried to fetch it, and the resultant top-edge was dropped by the fielder at square-leg. Sooryavanshi once again shook his head as if indicating he shouldn’t have played the shot. The boundaries and sixes flew freely soon after, but Faridoon Dawoodzai once again bounced him out. This time, the left-arm pacer had cramped him for room, and Sooryavanshi was forced into the shot. The top edge settled at the fielder at point. The third time, he was dismissed inside the fourth over. The other instance has seen him bat till the first delivery of the eighth over.

In 50-over cricket, it is not just about strike-rate. There are more parameters, especially the deliveries left. Going forward, it should be the next stage in Sooryavanshi’s development, to bat through the overs, to learn how to change gears. It is what makes cricket the most challenging. While batting in top gear, in six-hitting mode isn’t easy, the art of learning to bat while manoeuvring different gears offers its own challenges. Spells have to be seen through, and conditions have to be overcome. Over to Sooryavanshi to embrace these challenges.