What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
CUTTACK: As India stumbled to their second consecutive defeat against South Africa on Sunday in the T20I series, Indian batter Shreyas Iyer said the pitch at Barabati Stadium was a tricky one and it wasn’t easy for batsmen to score runs.
“The wicket was really tough, to be honest. I was at the crease for 35 balls but wasn’t able to identify how the pitch was going to play. I was trying to time the ball and attempted everything but it was difficult, especially for a new batsman. The ball was staying low from one end and from the other and there was variable bounce. Every wicket can be challenging so we can’t really blame it for our defeat,” he told the reporters after the match.
The 27-year-old made 40 runs off 35 balls before he was dismissed by the medium-pacer Dwaine Pretorius in the 14th over.
The right-hander heaped plaudits on the seamer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar who snapped up four wickets in the match. In his opening burst, he prised out three South African batsmen and left the visitors reeling at 29-3 in a 149-run chase.
“Bhuvi gave us just the kind of start we were hoping for. He is known for his swing bowling and the wicket really helped him. He has plenty of experience and executed his plans really well. He’s a great asset to the team,” Iyer stated.
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He lauded Heinrich Klaasen’s whirlwind 81 but said Indian bowlers didn’t do much wrong. “The spinners were not getting the turn so he targeted them and took them apart. I personally think our bowlers didn’t do much wrong. They bowled in the right areas and varied their pace as well but Klaasen’s execution of shots was pretty good,” he opined.
When asked about India’s approach going forward in the series and whether they can script a comeback, Iyer exuded hope and asserted they have the firepower to turn things around.
“There is no doubt we are under pressure. But we have made comebacks in the past and we can do it again. Our approach will be the same. We will go out and back ourselves to good come. No doubt our main aim is to win the World T20 but for that, we have to find our form and balance during these matches. We can learn from the matches before the tournament and be fully prepared for it,” he concluded.
South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma also hailed Klaasen’s explosive innings. “Klaasen is someone who can do the damage in a couple of balls. He adds a lot of value to our batting. We really needed someone to take it deep and Klassen played that role to perfection,” he raved.
The visitors chased down 149 in 18.2 overs on Sunday to hand a four-wicket defeat to India. They had also won the first T20I at Delhi by seven wickets. The next encounter of the series will take place at Visakhapatnam on June 14.
