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Shreyas Iyer looked confident with his bat in Nagpur ODI to help Team India seal a four-wicket victory in the first match of the three-match series. The right-handed batter produced a swift 59-run knock off 36 deliveries, with nine fours and a couple of maximums. Iyer, who served Team India exceptionally at number four, wasn’t in the Indian team management’s scheme of things for the opening game.
Following India’s one-sided win at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium, Iyer appeared in an interview with broadcasters and revealed he came to know a night before the game that he is going to be a part of India’s 11-member squad, replacing injured Virat Kohli to serve the team in the number four spot.
"Funny story, I was watching a movie last night, and I thought I could extend my night. But then I got a call from the skipper saying that I may play because Virat has a swollen knee. And then I hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straight." said Iyer.
Kevin Pietersen and Parthiv Patel hail Shreyas Iyer’s attack against Jofra Archer
Shreyas Iyer’s match-winning innings impressed formers of the game Kevin Pietersen and Parthiv Patel. The right-handed batter has always been an excellent player of spin but his prowess to tackle pace got him appreciation.
Discussing Iyer’s two maximums against pacer Jofra Archer during the post match show, Pietersen remarked, "He (Shreyas) batted beautifully; he really did. Jofra Archer came out with the short ball, and very fast, and it was as if batting was so easy for Shreyas Iyer this evening. The faster it came, the quicker it went. What was pretty cool about his batting was that he found the gaps."
Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel also highlighted Iyer's reformed technique. He said earlier the Mumbai-born batter used to move away from the line of the delivery but now things have changed as he goes close to the ball to confront the pace valiantly.
"It looked like Shreyas Iyer had a plan in his mind. The bowlers were bowling 140+, and he managed to use their pace. Yes, he was hanging back, but his weight was always on the front foot, that's how he played square of the wicket so well. I thought that the clarity of mind was there against very fast bowling. Shreyas got inside the line to the short ball, whereas earlier he used to open up and target point, that was the slight technical change that he made,"
