NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer hailed the collective performance of India's batters throughout the five-match T20I series against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
With the Men in Blue consistently posting totals beyond 200 in three consecutive matches, emerging talents like Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad left an indelible mark with their impressive contributions with the bat.
The series concluded with India securing a 4-1 victory, and Iyer, whose crucial knock of 53 played a pivotal role in the final T20I, expressed his elation, stating, "Elated to see everyone chipping in and the way these guys stood up from game one, especially in the batting department is mesmerising to see."
In the decisive final over, Arshdeep Singh, despite conceding 37 runs in his initial three overs, displayed remarkable composure to secure a thrilling six-run victory for the hosts.
Shreyas commended Arshdeep's calmness, saying, "I could see the calmness in him (Arshdeep) when he was bowling the last over, kudos to the way he composed himself."
Reflecting on his match-defining innings, Iyer discussed the challenging conditions, stating, "When I saw 3 wickets falling down, I started to calculate what would be the best score on this wicket, and it wasn't an easy wicket to bat on."
1/10:India clinch T20I series 4-1 with a thrilling victory over Australia
IANS
2/10:Shreyas Iyer's heroics
India posted 160/8 after Shreyas Iyer propelled the total with his 37-ball 53 knock despite losing regular wickets after the tourists elected to field first in Bengaluru.AFP
3/10:Impressive bowling performance
Fast bowler Mukesh Kumar (3-32), leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (2-29) and left-arm spinner Axar Patel (1-14) stood out as the hosts, who took an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the fourth T20I, restricted Australia to 154/8.AFP
4/10:Arshdeep's final over heroics
It was left-arm quick Arshdeep who defended nine in the last over when he began with two dot balls and then the wicket of skipper Matthew Wade for 22 to dim Australia's hopes.PTI
5/10:India's fearless approach
"It was a good series from day one," skipper Suryakumar Yadav said. "We wanted to be fearless and enjoy ourselves when we were in the middle. So, very happy with that."AFP
6/10:Consolation for Indian fans
It was a second-string Indian team which gave some consolation to the fans who witnessed hosts India lose the ODI World Cup final to Australia on November 19 in Ahmedabad.PTI
7/10:Ben McDermott's valiant effort
Ben McDermott smashed 54 off 36 deliveries but the batting wobbled after his departure and Mukesh struck twice on two deliveries to dent the chase.PTI
8/10:Controversial no-ball
A rising delivery from Arshdeep at the start of the final over made Wade angry as he signalled to the umpires for a no-ball. Wade protested and got out two balls later to take back his team's hopes, still dejected and waving his bat.AP
9/10:Learning from tough conditions
"It would've been nice to get the result, but we learn and I thought Ben McDermott bounced back, Behrendorff, Dwarshuis, Sangha made an impact in tough conditions," skipper Wade said.AFP
10/10:Iyer's match-winning partnerships
Iyer put on fighting partnerships of 42 with Jitesh Sharma, who made 24, and 46 with Axar, who hit back with 31 from 21 balls and was named man of the match.APHe emphasised the team's ability to assess conditions and adapt accordingly, citing the match as an exemplary demonstration of teamwork.
"160 was the right total, it's a commendable total, especially after losing 4 wickets at the top, and the bowlers did a good job in restricting them," Shreyas added.
In the match, a crucial 46-run partnership between Axar Patel and Iyer contributed significantly to India's total of 160/8. Australia, chasing the target, got off to a strong start but faced consistent wicket falls. The match culminated in a tense final over, with Arshdeep successfully defending nine runs and guiding India to a memorable victory.
(With inputs from ANI)
