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India vs England 1st T20I is set to be played on Wednesday at the Banks Homes Riverside, Durham. Shreyas Iyer’s side are lined up to play a five-match T20I series against the Three Lions. Ahead of the first game, skipper Shreyas Iyer addressed the media during the pre-match press conference, where he was asked about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the loss against Ireland.
India lost a series against Ireland; ahead of this series, they were clean-swept 2-0 by Lorcan Tucker’s inexperienced Irish side. Shreyas, during the press conference, gave some candid takes on India’s loss to an associate nation.
"We definitely didn’t expect Ireland to play that well"- Shreyas Iyer admits India underestimated Ireland
Shreyas Iyer admitted that India's defeat to Ireland was embarrassing, and also stated that the Men in Blue side did not expect Ireland to perform so well. He acknowledged that Ireland outplayed India in every department and praised their understanding of the ground dimensions and conditions.
“It wasn’t embarrassing, but it was depressing for us, because we definitely didn’t expect Ireland to play that well. They outplayed us in every department, they had brilliant ideas about the dimensions of the ground, and we fell short in terms of analysing and planning the ground and the dimensions, and how the wicket would be played.
“So, kudos to them, credit to them, but we learnt a lot from that series. This is completely a new chapter for us coming in here. A couple of us have played in England before, and we know the conditions, we know the dimensions over here. So, looking forward for an intense and challenging series this one,” Shreyas said.
"The Belfast ground definitely wasn’t a stadium"- Shreyas Iyer reveals reason for India's loss
Shreyas Iyer said the conditions in Belfast were very different from what it will be in England. He also pointed out the slow and uneven outfield, unusual square boundaries, and challenging field-setting angles on his captaincy debut series.
Shreyas said: “I feel it’s completely different because, the Belfast ground definitely wasn’t a stadium. The outfield, it was a bit slow, and it wasn’t even. And the dimensions also a bit squarish. So, like cutting the singles, cutting the doubles, especially when you’re fielding in the outfield and also the angles. As a captain, for me setting the field, it felt a bit outlandish, because we’re not used to it.”
“We were playing in the IPL, all the grounds were perfectly even from every direction. So, that was a bit challenging. And over here also, I mean the dimensions are pretty much similar, but the ground is flat, and you feel the vibe, you feel the stadium vibe, the crowd would be intense as well. We’ve played in such conditions, such situations before.”
"Not at all (no extra burden)"- Shreyas Iyer on poor form
Shreyas also shed light on his batting, as he did not have the best of outings on his return to the T20I side; he had scored 3 and 10 runs respectively in the two matches. The India T20I captain will be looking to score runs and play big knocks against England.
“Not at all (no extra burden). The way I’m timing the ball in the nets, even in the match in the previous game, I thought I was timing brilliantly. Just thought the ball bounced and took an inner edge. That doesn’t justify how my batting is or how much pressure I’m taking. And I definitely believe in my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure. So, I just want to keep that faith in me and go forward in the upcoming matches,” he said.
