Relieved after ending the series against Pakistan with a win, left-hander Yuvraj Singh is looking ahead to the One-Day Internationals against England and hoping to avenge two successive Test series defeats.
After conceding the ODI series to arch rivals with two back-to-back defeats, India turned the tables at the Ferozeshah Kotla, coming up trumps by 10 runs. The explosive batsman indicated that a 0-3 series debacle would have been crushing for the hosts. "Kal to joote padte padte bach gaye (we escaped being pelted by shoes yesterday),” Yuvraj said in jest at a promotional event in the Capital on Monday, hinting that the fans would not have taken kindly to another defeat.
Yuvraj has been in terrific form in the Twenty20 format, but has not been able to replicate it in other forms of the game. He was brought in for the Test series against England but was dropped before the final Test in Nagpur. "I have played well in the T20 and could not carry on my form from there. I have been hitting the ball well and playing well in patches. I was hitting the ball well yesterday (in the third ODI at the Kotla) but could not convert it into a big one, hopefully will do it against England,” he said.
"They played well over here, won the Test series. Hopefully, we’ll do well and win the one-day series.”
Yuvraj and his close friend in the England team Kevin Pietersen were in the Capital to promote an Australian footwear brand. The latter said their friendship is put aside once they enter the field of play. “He is my most feared opponent and I am trying hard to befriend him so that he doesn’t dismiss me in the five ODIs coming up,” the England middle-order batsman said.
"Off the field, we are good friends like a lot of other cricketers are, you play the sport to make friends and when we cross the white line to play against each other in Rajkot, I will try to get him out and he will try to get me out. Aim of the game is to win for our country,” Pietersen added.
Yuvi hopes to turn tables on England
Mail Today – Tue 8 Jan, 2013 11:09 AM IST
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