IND beat SL: Rohit Sharma lauds Shreyas Iyer – Team India captain Rohit Sharma was all praise for Shreyas Iyer after the Mumbai star bagged the player of the match award in the IND vs SL Pink Ball Test in Bengaluru. Iyer scored half-centuries in both innings as India clinched a fine 238-run win to seal the series 2-0. The 27-year-old has had a fine start to his Test career and has made the transition from Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara simpler for Team India. Follow Insidesport.in for all Indian cricket updates.
IND beat SL: Rohit Sharma lauds Shreyas Iyer after Player of the match award, says ‘Knew he had to fill shoes of Pujara, Rahane’
Rohit Sharma went on to clean sweep his maiden Test series as a skipper as India beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the Day-Night Test match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to sweep the two-match series 2-0. While most of the batters struggled in challenging conditions under the lights, Shreyas Iyer’s strategy to attack paid him rich dividends as he top-scored for India in both innings scoring 92 and 67.
Shreyas Iyer is adjudged Man of the Match for his two brilliant innings in the Test.@Paytm #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/IbKsepvVRd
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 14, 2022
Iyer has all but sealed his place in the middle order, with the Indian team axing veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Both Rahane and Pujara had been a staple in the Indian side for most of the last decade, but their poor form meant that India tried out new options, with Iyermaking the most of his opportunity.
IND beat SL: Rohit Sharma lauds Shreyas Iyer after Player of the match award, says ‘Knew he had to fill shoes of Pujara, Rahane’
His superlative performance helped him earn the ‘Player of the Match’ award as well as the praise of his skipper. “Shreyas just carried on from where he left off in the T20 series against Sri Lanka. He seemed to carry that form into the Test series. He knew he was stepping into the big shoes of guys like Rahane and Pujara, but he has everything that he requires. He will be better now when he starts travelling,” said Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Shreyas’ attacking style paid rich dividends to the team as his 92 run knocks in the first innings helped India score 252 in the first innings when at one stage India was tottering at 148 for 6.
“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. 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,” said Shreyas Iyer in the post-match presentation ceremony. In the second innings too Shreyas Iyer top-scored by playing a knock of 67 and played an important role in taking India’s second innings total to 303 for 9.
“We were given a target, and I was in the mindset to play as many balls as possible. I have always dreamt about being a Test player for India and playing alongside the greats and contributing at the highest level. I hope I can maintain that consistency in the time to come,” said Shreyas Iyer.
India were playing its third Pink Ball Test match on home soil and they have won all three inside three days.
“It’s been a good run and I have enjoyed it personally and as a team. We wanted to achieve a few things as a team, and we have done that. Pink-ball Tests are challenging. We never knew what it was like to play with the pink ball in India, but we are learning to make those adjustments. The crowd just makes it more special,” told Rohit Sharma.
IND beat SL: Rohit Sharma lauds Shreyas Iyer after Player of the match award, says ‘Knew he had to fill shoes of Pujara, Rahane’
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