Shreyas Iyer has been one of the best young cricketers in the circuit for the Indian National Cricket Team. However, he never got enough chances on the field, which saw him staying away from the senior team for a while now. Finally, he got them and used them to perfection to stay in the team for a while. During the course, he impressed Virat Kohli as well.
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Coming into the team after a year, Iyer, who has a couple of the fifties in the five ODIs that he has played, hit a 68-ball 71. It played a crucial role in India’s 59-run win over the West Indies in the second ODI at Port-of-Spain on Sunday. Once again, in the final ODI, he played a brilliant hand by scoring 65 runs to help Virat Kohli in the chase.
Shreyas Iyer was brave – Virat Kohli
Lavish in his praise of Shreyas Iyer who essayed a key role in India’s ODI series win against West Indies, Virat Kohli said the middle-order batsman’s performances reminded him of his early days with the Indian team when he was eagerly awaiting opportunities to perform for the country.
“He understood the value of performing in these situations. It will only boost his confidence further. I was exactly the same when I came in – any opportunity I got I wanted to win games for my team and play according to the situation and you have to take risks. He was brave under pressure. You need to reveal your game to realise who you are, what your game is and what kind of a player you are.
We want people to take responsibility:
Iyer struck a counter-attacking 65 off 41 balls, playing a perfect foil to a controlled Virat Kohli, who in the end guided the team over the line in their chase of 255 with yet another century. But, according to the captain, it was Iyer, who changed the game and has now definitely staked his claim for a place in the side on a regular basis.
‘The way he (Shreyas Iyer) batted out there, he took a lot of pressure off me. His knock was the game-changer. We want to have people take responsibility at different batting positions. But he certainly presented a strong case for himself. He completely played in full control and was putting pressure on the bowlers. Really good tempo, good really character.’
However, India sealed the ODI with 2-0 after clean sweeping T20I series. Now, they will lock horns in the two-match Test series, which marks the beginning of the Test Championship. It will start on August 22 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound in Antigua and the second Test will be played at Sabina Park, Kingston in Jamaica from August 30.