Shreyas Iyer put on a show and played a brilliant counter-attacking knock to steer India to four-wicket win over England in the first ODI. Shreyas Iyer cracked a blistering 36-ball 59 runs riding on 9 fours and 2 sixes, coming after India had lost both openers within the first six overs. But how will you react after knowing the match who won India the match wasn't part of India's starting playing XI until last night. Yes, Iyer revealed exactly the same after India's 4-wicket win over England.
Shreyas Iyer wasn't part of India's playing XI in 1st ODI
Iyer revealed that he wasn't originally in the starting XI and only learned late at night that he would be playing, replacing the injured Virat Kohli.
In a post-match interview, Iyer disclosed that he had been watching a movie and intended to stay up late on Wednesday, February 5. He then received a late-night call from Rohit Sharma, who informed him that Kohli had a swollen knee and wouldn't be playing in the series opener. Iyer jokingly mentioned that he had to cut his movie night short and go to bed early to ensure he was fresh for the game the following day.
"Funny story, I was watching a movie last night, and I thought I could extend my night. But then I got a call from the skipper saying that I may play because Virat has a swollen knee. And then I hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straight," Shreyas Iyer told the broadcaster after the match.
Prior to this ODI series, 30-year-old wasn't a major talking point, as he was expected to be a regular in the middle order, providing his characteristic aggressive batting style. With Rishabh Pant not in the ODI team, KL Rahul taking the wicketkeeping gloves, and Hardik Pandya as the primary attacking batsman lower down, Iyer's aggressive approach was seen as a valuable asset, giving India another counter-attacking option.
However, the events of Thursday revealed a potential shift in India's strategy. If Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes a regular opener and Shubman Gill occupies the No. 3 spot, Virat Kohli would likely bat at No. 4. The left-handed Axar Patel would probably follow, with Rahul or Pandya coming in next, depending on the match situation. Following Iyer's brilliant fifty in the first ODI, which turned the tables on England, it remains to be seen what combination India will opt for in the second ODI.
Iyer, who has been actively participating in domestic cricket for the past few months, spoke about his preparations leading up to the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy. He explained that playing in the domestic circuit helped him improve his fitness and gain clarity in his approach to innings construction.
This clarity was evident in his performance on Thursday, as Iyer achieved his second-fastest ODI fifty, reaching the milestone in just 30 balls. Notably, he confidently took on Jofra Archer's short deliveries, which had previously been a weakness in his batting.
"Obviously, they were predominantly bowling a lot of short deliveries and I decided to use the pace and that's what the mindset (was), try to hit the ball in the air as much as possible because the field was also inside. And they were pretty attacking at the start," Iyer on his aggressive mentality.
"To be honest, see, I played throughout the domestic season. It taught me a lot and gave me a decent idea about how to approach my innings, the attitude I have to keep. And it's just the mindset that I've improved over a period of time. Also from the skills point of view, you need to upgrade yourself, elevate, and keep learning every now and then. So I think I ticked all the boxes, and also my fitness played an important role," he concluded.