Virat Kohli Goes Gaga Over Shreyas Iyer After Win In Third ODI vs West Indies

Skipper Virat Kohli once again led from the front as India thrashed West Indies by six wickets (DLS method) in the third ODI to win the series 2-0. The right-hander, who had not scored an ODI ton since March before coming on this tour, has now scored two from two. Kohli now has 43 ODI tons and need just 7 more to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries.

India rode on Kohli’s 114 not out and Shreyas Iyer’s quickfire 65 off 41 balls to chase down the revised target of 255 in 32.3 overs with 6 wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare. Kohli and Iyer were once again at the forefront of India’s run chase as they shared a 120-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take the team within touching distance of the target for the second match in succession. The duo had shared a 125-run stand in the second ODI when India batted first at the same venue last Sunday.

India were in all sorts of trouble after being reduced to 92 for 3. However, once Iyer joined Kohli in the middle, things started to look rosy for the visitors. The duo eventually batted India out of trouble. Iyer was dismissed for 65 but Kohli remained till the end to make sure the team crosses the finishing line without much trouble.

And that's a wrap of the ODI series. #TeamIndia seal the series 2-0 ???? #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/aIuHKsaaNx

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 14, 2019

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Speaking at the end of the game, Virat Kohli credited Iyer for taking the pressure off him during the chase. He also said that he had presented himself a challenge after failing to convert his starts into tons in recent weeks.

“I didn’t want to disappoint you (Ian Bishop) further, you asked about the conversion rate (*laughs*). Jokes apart, last few matches, I presented a challenge to myself,” said Virat Kohli.

“The way he (Shreyas Iyer) batted out there, he took a lot of pressure off me. His knock was the game-changer. We want to have people take responsibility at different batting positions. But he certainly presented a strong case for himself. He completely played in full control and was putting pressure on the bowlers. Really good tempo, really good character,” he added.

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