Shreyas Iyer's start as India's captain continues to be a struggle. England beat India by 4 wickets in the second T20 International played in Manchester, coming after an earlier defeat to Ireland under his leadership. That means Iyer is yet to register a single win since taking over the captaincy. Visibly disappointed at the post match presentation, the India captain opened up about exactly where his side lost the plot.
The 17th over that decided the match
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Iyer said everyone knows the point at which the match slipped away, but he did not want to single out any one player. He said he had expected a strong comeback after the opening no-ball, but the 17th over of the innings proved too costly for the team. He added that the bowler would certainly learn from the mistake. That expensive over was bowled by Ravi Bishnoi, who leaked 29 runs in it, including two no-balls, a spell that ended up turning the match in England's favour.
Praise for Jacob Bethell's blistering knock
On the nature of the pitch, Iyer said the ball was bouncing unevenly through the surface, sometimes staying low and sometimes rising more than expected, which is why he felt India's total was a fairly good one on that track. He admitted that his side had a firm grip on the game through the first 15 overs before the momentum suddenly swung the other way, and credited that shift to Jacob Bethell's innings. Bethell smashed an unbeaten 76 off just 46 balls, studded with 5 fours and 5 sixes, to carry England home.
Iyer's take on debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Asked about young debutant Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Iyer said his temperament is remarkably fearless and he does not get rattled on the field at all. He said the way Vaibhav bats in the nets is something teammates can genuinely learn from, and that he was confident the youngster would not be nervous in his very first match. The result on the day was modest though, as Vaibhav Suryavanshi could only manage 14 runs off 10 balls, hitting two sixes on his debut. Everyone will now be hoping he plays a bigger innings in the next game.
