"Winning the game would have been icing on the cake" - Shreyas Iyer after memorable Test debut

Shreyas Iyer earned the man of the match award in his debut Test match (Credit: BCCI)

Debutant Shreyas Iyer had a memorable start to his Test career but was disappointed that India couldn't beat New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur.

Iyer, who came in the playing XI in place of Virat Kohli, grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He scored a century and a fifty to lead India's batting from the front following poor efforts from senior cricketers.

There were many brilliant performances in the match but Shreyas Iyer has been awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant knocks in both the innings 🙌

📸 BCCI

#India #NewZealand #INDvNZ https://t.co/grg6Lw5xx8

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Shreyas asserted that a win would have been the icing on the cake. Shreyas Iyer said:

"It's a great feeling but winning the game would have been icing on the cake. The pitch was intact but our bowlers showed great fight. My mindset was to play the sessions and play as many balls as possible.

"People say I am a very flamboyant player but the situation required me to play longer. So I played for the time. Batting alongside Ashwin and Saha was fun."

India were in a spot of bother in their second essay at 51/5 before Shreyas Iyer stitched two crucial partnerships with Ravichandran Ashwin (32) and Wriddhiman Saha (61*) to put his side back in the game.

Ajinkya Rahane & Co. managed to declare their innings at 234/7, posting New Zealand a 284-run target.

"We made best use of the situation" - Shreyas Iyer

Rachin Ravindra, the debutant for New Zealand faced 91 balls and stayed unbeaten on 18 to save the game for the Kiwis 🙌

Wonderful grit and determination shown by the 22-year old 💪

Take a bow, Rachin Ravindra 🙇

📸 ICC

#India #NewZealand #INDvNZ https://t.co/OtvbNehwTw

With nine wickets to win on the final day, India struggled to make any inroads in the opening session as Tom Latham and William Somerville kept the bowlers at bay.

However, the hosts made a resounding comeback to have New Zealand at 155/9, with still over 30 minutes of play left.

"Happy with the overall performance of the team. The pressure is always there. They got off to a great start. Once we got a sniff and got quick wickets, we made best use of the situation," Shreyas Iyer concluded.

But Rachin Ravindra (18*) and Ajaz Patel (2*) batted resolutely to deny India a victory at Green Park.

The second and final match of the series is scheduled to start on December 3 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.