Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Indian team had looked like a stuttering, disjointed outfit. However, Yadav's brilliance transformed it into a well-oiled machine. The knock showed the kind of difference the Mumbai batter can make with his audacious stroke play and it was also a reminder of why the team management is investing so heavily in him in a bid to make him a regular part of their 50-overs set-up.

For the World’s No 1 T20 batter, adapting to the ODI format was expected to be a natural transformation and with uncertainty surrounding the availability of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid are banking on Yadav to come to the party. They know if he gets going, he can be devastating.

But frustratingly for the team management and the player himself, the experiment hasn’t been a success so far. Somehow, he hasn't figured out the right tempo. He has played 26 ODIs so far and averages only 24.33.

Given that the two white-ball formats are not that different, the onus is on the Indian team management to figure out how to use him best. The way he is batting, if he gets going in the middle overs, he can change the whole complexion of the game.

In a brutally honest assessment, after the match, Yadav revealed: “If I am honest with myself, I know my ODI numbers are really bad. I have no hesitation in saying it. To be honest is very important, how you can be better... that is important."

Despite his below-par returns so far, the Indian team has not given up on him. His coach and captain have given him clear-cut instructions on the role they are looking at him to play at the upcoming World Cup – play 45 to 50 balls.

“Rohit (Sharma) and Rahul (Dravid) Sir told me that it’s a format you don’t play much; you have to practice it little and think about it what you can do. If you take some time to settle down. If you are batting in the last 10-15 overs, you can imagine what you can do for the team. They have given me that signal, we just want that you should play 45-50 balls if your turn to bat comes in the last 15-20 overs. Now it is in my hands how to convert that responsibility into opportunity," Yadav said during the media interaction.

Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad feels that giving Yadav clarity for his role is vital. "It’s not about adjustment, it's about the role clarity that he needs," said Prasad. "If someone can be the No 1 T20 batter in the world, I have no doubt he has the adaptability, all that he needs to get used to, is his role. In T20s, he has a clear mind: if two wickets fall he knows what he has to do, or if he bats in the 14th or 15th over then what he needs to do. I don’t think he needs to make a drastic change, he has played the best of bowlers in the IPL and T20."

Before the World Cup in October, India have two more ODI series - the Asia Cup and a home series against Australia. But, time may be running out for Yadav. Chances could get limited. Depending on the availability of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, he will be competing for chances with them in the two tournaments.

Asked to explain how he views the two formats, Yadav said : “T20 has become a habit, you have to just express your game. We don’t play much ODIs, I feel it is more challenging for me, because in that you have to be able to bat in every manner: If the wickets fall early then like a Test innings you have to take your time; in the middle you try and bat ball to ball then in the end you have to switch to the T20 approach.”

Former India batter Pravin Amre, who was the coach when Suryakumar Yadav made his Mumbai debut in 2010, believes that a little more discipline could help.

"We call him the second ABD, because of his ability to play 360 degrees," said Amre. "But maybe, he can look to play 180 degrees rather than 360 degrees. Keep it simple. That game (50 overs) allows that. You have 300 balls, T20 is 120 balls. Playing 180 means focus on playing in the wide V, 360 is wide V and behind the V as well. That will help him."

At the World Cup, there are going to be games when a batter will be needed to come in and straightaway play a blinder. The kind of innings Suresh Raina played in the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup. Yadav has the potential to do that. Then, he has that rare ability to deliver in any conditions. Tuesday’s innings was proof of it. We can expect similar sluggish tracks towards the business end of the World Cup due to overuse. Yadav's skills might just be the differentiator India needs.