IND vs SA 2022: "Played like a team man" - Twitterati laud Shreyas Iyer's batting exploits in 1st ODI

Team India's Shreyas Iyer impressed with the bat in the first ODI against South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday, October 6, scoring a gutsy half-century under pressure.

The right-handed batter scored 50 runs off just 37 deliveries to bail the hosts out after a shaky start in the run chase. Iyer showcased positive intent, accumulating crucial runs for the Men in Blue on a difficult wicket.

Shreyas stitched together a vital 67-run partnership with Sanju Samson (86* off 63) to steady the ship after the hosts were reduced to 51/4. He hit eight boundaries during his stay at the crease, dazzling the viewers with his strokeplay.

The Mumbai-born cricketer received praise from all quarters for his batting exploits in the rain-curtailed 40-over clash. Several fans took to Twitter to laud the 27-year-old's efforts.

Here are some of the reactions:

The dynamic batter's promising innings came to a premature end as he perished in the 27th over off Lungi Ndigi's bowling. His woes against the short-pitched delivery continued as he was undone by the extra bounce, ending up giving a simple catch to the mid-on fielder.

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Indian top order fails to impress in 1st ODI against South Africa

India won the toss and elected to field first in the first fixture of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The Proteas posted 249/4 in the 40-over game thanks to Henrich Klaasen (74*) and David Miller's (75*) blistering unbeaten knocks.

The two batters, with their unbeaten 139-run partnership, helped South Africa finish with a flurry. For India, Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers, picking up two important wickets and conceding just 35 runs from his full quota of eight overs.

The Men in Blue didn't have an ideal start to the run chase, losing openers Shubman Gill and Shikhar Dhawan early. Ruturaj Gaikwad also failed to make a significant impact, departing for 19 runs off 42 balls.

Shreyas and Samson's partnership gave India a glimmer of hope. However, Shreyas' dismissal brought the visitors back into the game once again. Samson and Thakur fought hard to give hosts a chance, but lost the contest by nine runs.