Port of Spain: India’s Shreyas Iyer has been in impressive form in the ongoing white-ball tour of West Indies but the batter is unhappy with his failure to convert back-to-back half centuries into hundreds.
Iyer made 63 off 71 balls batting at number 3 to play a big role in India’s series-clinching two-wicket win over West Indies in the second ODI here Sunday.
He stitched a 99-run stand with Sanju Samson (54) for the fourth wicket before Axar Patel (64 not out) finished off the match.
Iyer, who had scored 54 in India’s three-run win in the first match, said he would look to score a century in the next game.
“I was happy with what I scored today but unhappy the way I was dismissed. I could have taken the team through easily. I was setting up the total and it was unfortunate that I lost my wicket. Hopefully, I can do better and score a century in the next match,” he said after the game.
The 27-year-old right-handed batter rued not scoring a hundred.
“Last time also it was a good catch (to dismiss him). Obviously, I can’t say I threw away my wicket but I should have converted into hundreds. But I feel good to contribute to the team’s win.
“It’s really fortunate to get to fifty (back to back) but I should have converted into hundred because I had got a good start. You don’t get these kinds of starts again and again in international cricket and converting as many fifties to hundred is very beneficial. I thought today was a great chance to do that.”
Iyer has been batting at number three in his last few matches and he said he is enjoying his new role.
“It is one of the best positions to bat at. You go in at a tough situation. If the wickets fall, you go early and you have to see off the new ball and then build the innings.
“And also, if the opening partnership is very good and you have to carry it on and build onto that from where they left. It is a fun position to bat at and I really enjoyed.”
He credited his strong form to the extra hard work he has been putting in recently.
“The result I am getting is because of the hard work I am doing. I am doing some extra hard work recently because wickets and conditions are changing and there are back to back matches so I have to keep fit and try to control the controllables.”
There were some tense moments during the 312-run chase when India needed six runs off three balls.
Talking about those moments, Iyer said, “It was fun to be honest. Rahul (Dravid) sir was getting very tensed, he was passing messages. But the players were very calm and composed during pressure situations.
Asked about the partnership he had with Samson that re-built the India innings, Iyer said, “Two back-to-back wickets and about 64 (66) runs and from there we had to rebuild and Sanju came in and he showed a lot of intent. I was already batting on 15 and had faced around 20 balls and I knew what I was going to do.
“Sanju faced a few balls and he took on the spinners and hit two sixes and suddenly the momentum shifted towards us. From there onwards, we built the partnership and carried forward the momentum.”