Parthiv Patel hails Shreyas Iyer’s ‘masterclass’ after rain-hit first T20I against England

Parthiv Patel praised Shreyas Iyer's composed 68 in the rain-abandoned first T20I against England, calling it a masterclass in adapting to match conditions. He also lauded India's improved batting display and backed the team's approach ahead of the second T20I.

New Delhi: Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel believes Shreyas Iyer silenced his critics with a composed captain’s knock in the rain-abandoned first T20I against England, saying the innings showcased his maturity and ability to adapt to the match situation.

Leading the side in the series opener at Chester-le-Street, Iyer struck 68 off 47 deliveries to anchor India’s innings after the visitors were reduced to 6/2 inside the first two overs. His knock, along with Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 59 off just 24 balls and Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 42 off 21 deliveries, helped India recover to post a competitive 189/7.

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However, persistent rain after the completion of India’s innings prevented England from beginning their chase, forcing the match to be abandoned without a result.

Reflecting on Iyer’s innings, Parthiv said the India skipper displayed excellent awareness by complementing Abhishek’s aggressive approach instead of looking for big hits himself. “Those raising questions over Shreyas Iyer would have felt a lot more relieved after this innings. As a player, Shreyas Iyer doesn’t have to worry about anything. He’s a proven performer in this format. It was a very important innings because India had lost two early wickets, while at the other end, Abhishek Sharma was batting quite aggressively. So, Shreyas had to play the second fiddle rather than rely too much on hitting sixes, which is something every Indian player is so used to from playing in the IPL,” Parthiv told Jio Hotstar.

“You have to rotate the strike, and score boundaries along the ground. I thought it was a masterclass from Shreyas Iyer, understanding the situation and the dimensions of the ground. That’s something both the captain and the Indian team would have learned from those two games against Ireland,” he added.

Patel also felt India’s batting display was an important step forward after an inconsistent start to the tour during the two T20Is against Ireland, saying the innings showed the team’s ability to adapt to different conditions.

“The way India’s first two games against Ireland went, it was important for India to produce this kind of batting performance. There were obviously doubts about whether India could adapt to certain conditions and whether they could change their game plan. Looking at those games in Ireland, in my opinion, this innings was necessary for India, where you see a complete batting performance.”

India and England will now clash in Manchester in the second T20I at Emirates Old Trafford, with the five-match series still level after the rain washed out the opener.