Iyer’s maiden T20I century and Kishan’s unbeaten 37 carried India to their target with eight wickets and 32 balls to spare. Their unbroken 137-run partnership ensured that the early departures of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson offered West Indies almost no opening.
“Winning definitely tastes different. And that’s what we keep talking about in the dressing room,” Iyer told the broadcasters after the game. “If it’s your day, make sure that you win the match for the team. And today it was me. In the previous couple of games, there were other batsmen who finished off the game.
“Overall, I feel it was a comprehensive performance. And I think if we continue with the same mindset, we will be one of the most destructive teams in T20s.”
Abhishek had provided the initial acceleration with 21 off ten balls before falling to Roston Chase. Samson followed for 11 off nine, leaving India on 35 for 2. Iyer and Kishan took them to 62 for 2 by the end of the powerplay, with Iyer hitting Shamar Joseph for three successive fours in the sixth over. Kishan said watching Iyer time the ball so well had helped him make up his mind about his approach.
“I think he was in very good touch, and to be very honest, looking from the other end, I felt it’s better to keep him on strike and not let the momentum stop,” Kishan said. “So my job was pretty easy in the middle, to just get off strike and let him play as many balls as he can.”
That decision also involved recognising that he was finding scoring runs difficult.
“I think you get to know in the middle, you know, how one batter is timing the ball, if I’m doing it better or he’s doing it [better], and he looked in a very good touch today,” Kishan said. “And I was not looking in such great touch, to be very honest, so I just felt it’s better to keep him on strike, rather than [me] be on strike and try those shots. I wanted him to keep the momentum going.”
“After that exhausting travel, I didn’t even realise where I was, to be honest,. But I adapted quickly to the wicket, to the conditions, and I think bowling first helped us a lot”
Shreyas Iyer
Kishan explained that he understood the frustration of being the batter out of rhythm while a partner faced most of an over, having been on the other side often. He contributed five fours in his 27-ball innings, while Iyer kept pushing the required rate down. India needed 70 from 60 balls at the halfway mark, before Iyer accelerated from a 28-ball fifty to a 42-ball century.
He took Akeal Hosein for a six and a four in the 13th over, then hit Matthew Forde for three sixes and a four in a 24-run over. Kishan’s single in the final over gave Iyer the strike on 95, and he brought up his hundred by launching Chase over long-on, finishing unbeaten on 102.
It was also Iyer’s second century in as many T20 appearances at Ekana Stadium this year. In five T20 innings at the venue, he has scored 335 runs at an average of 335 and a strike rate of 200.59, including 255 runs without being dismissed across his last three innings.
“Definitely exultant – that’s the word I would use today,” Iyer said. “Honestly speaking, I was actually thinking about getting my first [T20I] century and it came true. So I definitely want to say that dreams do come true.”
“After that exhausting travel, I didn’t even realise where I was, to be honest,” Iyer said. “But I adapted quickly to the wicket, to the conditions, and I think bowling first helped us a lot. We just didn’t look at it [the travel] as an excuse. We wanted to come and play as any other cricketer would.”
Kishan said the responsibility to perform remained the same even when preparation time was limited: “Once we step in the field, once you wear the jersey, you have to give your all. Some days you won’t be feeling so good, but it’s our job to just give 100% if you’re there.”
The exhausting schedule continues for India, though, with games in Ranchi (October 9), Indore (October 11), Hyderabad (October 14) and Bengaluru (October 17). The team then flies to New Zealand for the first T20I in Christchurch on October 22.
Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at Cricinfo. @sreshthx
