Shreyas Iyer happy to convert start into an unbeaten century

When Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for a duck in the first clash of the 2023 ODI World Cup against Australia, he walked back, shaking his head. Iyer’s visible frustration with not being able to get a start soon turned into a consistent string of starts over the next few games. But converting the two-figure score into a three-figure score still was missing. 

On Sunday (November 12), Iyer put his worry past him when he brought up a show-stopping century against the Netherlands side. It didn’t matter if they targeted him with shorter deliveries, Iyer had a plan for every bowler, evident in the way he found the boundaries at his own will. When he finally took his helmet off, there was a sense of fulfilment in converting a start into a good century. 

In the post-match presentation, the 28-year-old batter reckoned that he was happy not to ‘throw his wicket away’ and wanted to come out unscathed. It was what transpired in the end, with Iyer being unbeaten on 128. 

“I kind of had a deja vu. This had happened against Australia as well, and I threw my wicket and I came but this time I wanted to come not out. Wanted to pills I took for the cramps to kick in. Today it came and I am very happy. The scores I got in the last few days helped me,” Iyer opened up on his century and his celebration. 

While it was a dream to bat early on at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, it became slightly tricky when the Mumbaikar walked out to bat and insisted that he just wanted to hit the ball straight down the ground. Alongside that, he also spoke about the importance of getting into a good position, with a followthrough that ends behind his shoulder. 

“The wicket was playing tacky, a bit two paced. I wanted to capitalise on the start. [Straight hit] I have worked a lot of those shorts, especially in the nets. I was trying to hit straight, and keep my head down. Get into a good position, and after that, it is a followthrough of the bat that ends behind my shoulder,” he concluded. 

India will now face the dangerous New Zealand side in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium on November 15 (Wednesday), with a hope of reaching their first ODI World Cup final since 2011.