Team India batter Shreyas Iyer was on the receiving end of criticism from fans after he was, once again, dismissed by a short-pitched delivery against New Zealand on Sunday (October 22).
New Zealand batted first in the 2023 World Cup contest at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala and made 273 in 50 overs, courtesy of magnificent knocks from Daryl Mitchell (130) and Rachin Ravindra (75).
India then got off to a good start as Rohit Sharma (46) and Shubman Gill (26) put on 71 runs for the opening wicket. After their dismissal, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (33 in 29 balls) had the responsibility of building India's innings. Iyer was welcomed with some bouncers by the New Zealand pacers, as they wanted to exploit his weakness.
He tackled them well initially by hitting a couple of fours with his pull shot. However, the same shot brought his downfall in the 22nd over. Shreyas Iyer tried to hit a pull shot with his eyes closed against Trent Boult. The ball took a top edge and went towards deep square leg, where Devon Conway completed a diving catch.
Fans on social media observed that Iyer perished while facing a bouncer yet again and expressed their frustrations through reactions on X (formerly Twitter).
Here are some of the best reactions related to the matter:
After Shreyas Iyer's departure, Virat Kohli anchored the chase to win the game for India
KL Rahul (27) built a mini partnership with Virat Kohli after Shreyas Iyer's departure to stabilize things. New Zealand's players did not allow the duo to run away with the game as they dismissed Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession to reduce India to 191/5.
Virat Kohli (95) and Ravindra Jadeja (39*) battled through the pressure situation well and steered India to the target in 48 overs. Indian captain Rohit Sharma reflected on the win at the post-match presentation, saying:
"It's a good start. We know that the job is half done, long way to go in the tournament, Important to stay balanced, not to think too far ahead. He (Mohammed Shami) took the opportunity with both hands. He has got class, and plenty of experience in these conditions."
He continued:
"At one stage, we were looking at 300 plus, the way Mitch (Daryl Mitchell) and Rachin (Ravindra) batted. The wicket was easy to bat on, dew came in as well. Give credit to the bowlers, they pulled it back nicely in the end."
India will next face England on Sunday (October 29) in Lucknow.
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