"That wasn't my normal approach" - Shreyas Iyer on his attacking knock in pink-ball Test vs SL
Shreyas Iyer played two valuable knocks on a difficult Chinnaswamy wicket as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 238 runs within three days in the pink-ball Test.
Iyer came out to bat at No. 6 with all recognized batters back in the hut and the hosts struggling in the second session of Day 1. But the Mumbai-born cricketer took the onus on himself and produced a counter-attacking innings to propel India to 252 runs.
Shreyas Iyer is adjudged Man of the Match for his two brilliant innings in the Test.
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Speaking on his aggressive approach at the post-match presentation ceremony, Shreyas Iyer stated:
"That wasn't my normal approach but when I saw other batters struggling, I knew I had to attack. I was just trying to be one step of the bowlers."
The 27-year-old smacked 92 runs off just 98 balls aided by 10 boundaries and four towering sixes. Despite missing a century by eight runs, Iyer stated that the landmark was never on his mind. He continued:
"When the tail came in, I was on 55 and I added 37 more so I wasn't too bothered about missing out on a hundred."
Shreyas Iyer added 14 runs with Mohammed Shami and then another 22 with Jasprit Bumrah for the last two wickets to help India post 252 runs on the board.
In reply, the home side bowled out Sri Lanka for 109 runs, securing a crucial lead of 143 runs, which proved to be decisive.
"We were given a target" - Shreyas Iyer on his approach in the second innings
Consistency = shreyas Iyer. Atleast for now.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain played a completely different brand of cricket in the second innings. He took time to settle down and choose balls to play his shots. Iyer admitted that a separate target was allotted for the batters in the second essay and said:
"We were assigned a target in the second innings including Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, and I was in the mindset to play as many balls as possible."
He played another fine knock of 67 runs in the second innings, which laid the foundation for India's victory. Shreyas ended the series with 186 runs in three innings, including two fifties, and finished as the second-highest run-scorer after Ravindra Jadeja (201 runs).
He will next be in action during IPL 2022, leading KKR when they begin their campaign against defending champions Chennai Super Kings on March 26.