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India vs England 1st T20 match will be played on Wednesday at Banks Homes Riverside, Durham. Shreyas Iyer’s team is ready to play a five-match T20 series against the Three Lions. Before the first game, captain Shreyas Iyer addressed the media during the pre-match press conference, where he was asked about Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the loss against Ireland.
India lost a series against Ireland; Earlier in this series, Lorcan Tucker’s inexperienced Irish team had given them a 2–0 clean sweep. During the press conference, Shreyas spoke openly on India’s defeat to an ally country.
“We definitely didn’t expect Ireland to play so well” – Shreyas Iyer admits India underestimated Ireland
Shreyas Iyer admitted that India’s defeat to Ireland was embarrassing, and also said that the Men in Blue did not expect Ireland to perform so well. He acknowledged that Ireland had beaten India in every department and praised their understanding of ground dynamics and conditions.
“It wasn’t embarrassing, but it was disappointing for us, because we certainly didn’t expect Ireland to play so well. They outplayed us in every department, they had brilliant ideas about the dimensions of the field, and we fell behind in terms of analyzing and planning the field and dimensions and how the wicket would be played.
“So, congratulations to them, credit to them, but we learned a lot from that series. It’s a completely new chapter for us to come here. Some of us have played in England before, and we know the conditions, we know the dimensions here. So, looking forward to an intense and challenging series,” Shreyas said.
“Belfast ground was definitely not a stadium” – Shreyas Iyer explains the reason for India’s defeat
Shreyas Iyer said that the conditions in Belfast were very different from those in England. He also pointed to the slow and uneven outfield, unusual square boundaries and challenging field-setting angles in his first series of captaincy.
Shreyas said: “I think it’s completely different because, the Belfast ground was definitely not a stadium. The outfield, it was a bit slow, and it wasn’t either. And the dimensions were also a bit square. So, cutting singles, cutting doubles, especially when you’re fielding in the outfield and angles. As a captain, for me, setting the field, it felt a bit strange, because we’re not used to that.”
“We were playing in the IPL, all the grounds were exactly the same from every direction. So, it was a bit challenging. And here too, I mean the dimensions are largely the same, but the ground is flat, and you feel the vibe, you feel the atmosphere of the stadium, the crowd will also be intense. We have played in such circumstances, such conditions before.”
Shreyas also highlighted his batting, as he hasn’t had the best of performances on his return to the T20I side; He scored 3 and 10 runs in the two matches respectively. India’s T20I captain would like to score runs and play big innings against England.
He said, “Not at all (no extra burden). The way I have been timing the ball in the nets, even in the last match, I thought I was timing it brilliantly. Just I thought the ball bounced and took the inside edge. It’s not fair how my batting is or how much pressure I am taking. And I definitely trust my instincts. I know how well I play under pressure. So, I just I want to keep that belief within me and move forward in the upcoming matches.”
