After leading from the front on a tricky surface, India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted that the batting unit could have been “smarter and better” despite the defending champions’ 29-run victory over the USA in their T20 World Cup opener on Saturday.

“We cannot brush everything under the carpet. We need to bat much better. Even after a win, there are a lot of learnings. We could have batted better and smarter,” Suryakumar said after receiving the Player of the Match award.

While Suryakumar stood tall with a sublime 84* off 49 balls, India found themselves in deep trouble at 77 for 6 before their skipper soaked up the pressure and guided the innings to a respectable total.

“Only I know how much pressure I was feeling, but I had belief. I knew if I batted till the end, I could make a difference,” he said at the post-match presentation.

Suryakumar explained that the lack of sunlight during the day left moisture in the pitch, making batting challenging.

“It was a slightly different wicket. When we woke up, there wasn’t much sun. The curator tried his best, but without enough sunlight, the pitch couldn’t be rolled and watered properly. It didn’t feel like a 180 or 190 wicket, more like a 140 wicket,” he said.

Reflecting on his recent struggles, Suryakumar revealed that patience had finally paid off.

“I knew one day it would come. I was trying to hold the innings for the team over the last year, but it wasn’t happening. After my last innings last year, I packed my kit bag, spent time with my family, and then went to Nagpur. It felt different.”

Having grown up playing at the Wankhede Stadium, Suryakumar relied on his familiarity with the conditions.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket here, so I know how to bat on similar wickets. At 77 for 6, it was clear that one batter had to bat till the end. I just focused on playing good shots.”

USA captain Monank Patel felt his side had a chance if India were restricted further.

“The pitch wasn’t easy to read. Their variations in the powerplay kept us quiet. We dropped catches and paid the price. At one stage, it felt like we could restrict them to 130,” Patel said.

“I thought 160 was a good total on this wicket. Our top three couldn’t perform, and the intent dropped after early wickets,” he added.