Surya on Usman Tariq: India is Ready to Tackle Pakistan’s Mystery Spinner

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has made it clear that his side is preparing for every challenge ahead of the marquee World Cup showdown with Pakistan, including the growing threat posed by mystery spinner Usman Tariq. Speaking to reporters before the India vs Pakistan fixture, the Indian skipper brushed aside concerns around Tariq’s unfamiliar bowling style and said the team is ready to adapt on the fly. “Even in the exam, if a question comes out of the syllabus, we have to do it,” he replied to the reporter. “You can’t leave it. He’s a different character, but we can’t surrender to him. We have practiced and are all very excited,” he added, also confirming the squad feels fresh after travel and has no jetlag concerns. Surya on Usman Tariq has quickly become a talking point as the Pakistan off-spinner continues to draw attention for both his results and his unusual action. Modeled partly on cues he picked up from watching MS Dhoni, Tariq’s high-arm, bent-elbow release has troubled several batters this tournament. He has already collected five wickets in two games and maintained tight control through the middle overs. Questions around his legality have surfaced before. During a recent tour, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green was seen making a gesture that many interpreted as questioning the action. Tariq had earlier been reported in the Pakistan Super League but cleared testing protocols both times. Usman Tariq himself addressed it previously: “There are two corners on my elbow that make it hard for me to straighten,” he said in an interview last year. “I gave two tests at labs in Pakistan, and my action was cleared within a week. I didn’t get told to change anything. I was confident because I knew I was not throwing.”