India captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday said right-handed batter Suryakumar Yadav, who has struggled to find his mojo in one-day cricket after a dazzling run in T20 format, knows that he has to perform well, and the team management will give him a longer run. Suryakumar was dismissed in identical manner in the first two ODIs against Australia -- trapped leg-before off in-swinging deliveries from Mitchell Starc on first balls he faced -- with his barren run in the format now stretching further.
The contest on Sunday was Suryakumar's 16th ODI without a fifty, with an unbeaten 34 against New Zealand his highest score.
Suryakumar had walked out at No. 4, a spot vacated by Shreyas Iyer, who is out due to a back injury with no set timeline for return.
“We don't know about (Shreyas) Iyer's return. At this time there is a spot available so we have to play him (Suryakumar). He has obviously shown a lot of potential with white ball and I have said it many times before (that) guys with potential will be given some run,” Rohit told the media after India's 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the second ODI.
“Of course, he knows that he needs to do while in a slightly longer format of the game as well. I think things are there in his mind as well. Like I said, guys with potential will have enough run where you know they should not feel that ‘Okay, You know I wasn't given enough chances in that particular slot',” he added.
The Indian captain said that Suryakumar would be given a "consistent run" so that he feels comfortable with the format.
"Yes he got out in the last two games and the series before that as well, but he needs that consistent run, like back-to-back games, 7-8 or 10 games like that so that, you know, he feels more comfortable.
“Right now, he has got in the place when someone's been injured or someone's not available. As management we can look into the performance when you give that consistent run and then you feel that okay, the runs are not coming and (he's) not looking comfortable. Then, we will start thinking about it. Right now, we have not gone that route,” Rohit explained.
He said that the absence of pacer Jasprit Bumrah is something that the team is used to now.
“Bumrah has been absent for more than eight months now, the guys and the team are very much used to it. It is very hard to fill Bumrah's shoes. We all know that, he is a quality bowler but now that is not been available for us. Let's not just keep thinking about that.
"We have to move ahead and guys have taken the responsibility pretty well (Mohammad ) Siraj, (Mohammed) Shami, Shardul (Thakur), we have got Umran and Jaydev (Unadkat) as well,” he said.
Talking about Sunday's match, Rohit said the players did not apply themselves well during the first innings wherein they were shot out for 117 in just 26 overs.
“We did not bat well. It was not the pitch where we could have gotten out for 117. We didn't apply ourselves. When you lose a couple of wickets early, it's important to create a partnership or two so that you can get back into the game.
"When you have only 117 runs on the board, the (opposition) batters have nothing to lose other than to come and try and swing the bat,” Rohit said.