Iyer wants to see, react & not presume in the face of short-ball barrage

By Khurram Habib

Canberra, Dec 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) After being surprised and dismissed by a quick, short ball early in the first ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), middle-order Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer has said that he got a bit wiser in the second game and decided not to presume but only react after seeing the delivery.

Iyer was dismissed for just two by Josh Hazlewood in the first match played on November 27, as he fended off a short ball from the fast bowler to wicket-keeper Alex Carey.

In the second game on November 29, he was again troubled by a few short ones, one of which almost got him early on. But to his credit, he stayed put and tried to take those balls on and succeeded a bit.

"I knew the short ball was going to come (in first ODI), so I was in two minds. I was thinking of pulling and at the same time, I have the upper cut shot, so I got stuck in two thoughts. I couldn't play the shot, so maybe that is the reason why I was stuck in one place and the ball came and hit the middle of the bat at that time.... In the second match, when I came, I was like just look at the ball and react," said Iyer on Tuesday.

He added that predicting what a bowler bowls happens well only when a batsman is set but at the start it is easier to react than be caught thinking where the bowler will bowl.

"You know it is very easy to do that rather than think what the bowler is going to bowl. You can actually predict what the bowler will bowl when you are set. I usually try to give myself a little bit of time at the start and that's what I applied in the second match and it really worked out well," he added.

The right-handed batter added that the Australians targeting him with short deliveries and setting attacking fields does not bother him much and that he is taking it as a challenge. He added that it also provides him with an opportunity to score runs.

"I am at least happy they have got a plan and they are at least coming up with a plan to get me out. I feel very overwhelmed, take it as a challenge. I thrive under pressure and it really motivates me against them and they set an attacking field and that helps me score more runs and I take advantage and see to it that I make the best use of it," he said.

This is Iyer's first international tour to Australia and he is willing to take on the short-pitched bowling. The strategy, he adds, would be to stand as upright as possible and not bend too much and make use of the opportunities to score in the aggressive field-setting.

"I feel that it is just the mindset that you need to adjust.... We all know that the wickets are bouncy. The bowlers are going to bowl to you over here in the body area... You, rather than bending down too much, you stand upright and play the ball. So, it is easy to pick the short ones as well. But yeah, I have set my pattern right from the start. Every time I play, I give myself a little bit of time, get set and take on the bowlers and if they come up with that field, it is important that I get aggressive as well at the same time. You know with that field, it is really easy to manipulate the field," he said.

Having already lost the series, India will aim to avoid the whitewash when they take the hosts in the third and final ODI at the Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

Source: IANS