3rd T20I: Pitch Wasn’t Easy, But Abhishek’s Knock Was Flawless, Says Shreyas Iyer

3rd T20I: Pitch wasn’t easy, but Abhishek’s knock was flawless, says Shreyas Iyer (New Delhi: India vs Afghanistan 3rd T20I)

Arun Jaitley Stadium: India captain Shreyas Iyer lauded young opener Abhishek Sharma’s sensational 108, helping the side get a 127-run win over Afghanistan and complete a 3-0 series sweep, calling it a ‘flawless’ effort on a challenging pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Abhishek’s masterclass knock was worth 34 deliveries, laced with nine fours and 11 sixes, and got a standing ovation from a standout crowd at the stadium after being caught behind by Rahmanullah Gurbaz off Rashid Khan in the tenth over.

Abhishek’s explosive knock eclipsed former India captain Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball effort against Sri Lanka, coming at Holkar Stadium, Indore, in 2017 and grabbed the record for the fastest T20I hundred by an Indian men’s batter, as well as the quickest ever hundred by a batter from a Test-playing country in the shortest format.

Overall, it stands as the third-fastest century in men’s T20I history, trailing only Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan (27 balls) and Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad (29 balls), as India got their second straight 3-0 series win in the shortest format under Iyer’s leadership.

"I mean, I wouldn't say bullying, but you would definitely be respectful of the fact that you have come to India and then they were hosting the series. So commendable performance by them as well. It wasn't an easy wicket, but the way Abhishek played today was flawless, and it was just pleasing to the eye," Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

He further revealed that he had already anticipated batting first after a brief conversation with his counterpart, Ibrahim Zadran, prior to the toss. "Honestly speaking, I knew that I was going to bat today because we had a brief conversation with Ibrahim. He wanted to bowl in the first two games as well.

“So I had this vision, envisioned that we were going to bat. But yeah, phenomenal start we got, and then obviously just to cream those runs in between to get 220 on the board was commendable," added Iyer.

He further revealed that he had already anticipated batting first after a brief conversation with his counterpart, Ibrahim Zadran, prior to the toss. "Honestly speaking, I knew that I was going to bat today because we had a brief conversation with Ibrahim. He wanted to bowl in the first two games as well.

“So he's been doing it over the years, and I personally feel that he's someone who has got his head on his shoulders and thinks a lot about his game, and he's been performing consistently throughout. So kudos to him."

Article Source: IANS