India in Australia: ‘Overwhelmed’ Shreyas Iyer ready to take on the Aussie challenge

Xtra Time Web Desk: Indian middle order batsman Shreyas Iyer has realized how tough it is to score against the Aussie pace attack in their own backyard. But the confident Mumbai batsman is ready to take on the challenge against the short stuff that the Aussie pace bowlers have planned about him. Iyer has been undone by rising deliveries aimed at his body in both the first two ODIs at the SCG. Both times, he has been dismissed - one off a steep bouncer and the second a slower one.
"I definitely know that they've planned against me," he said, "so I'm really happy. At least they're coming up with a plan against me to get me out. I feel very overwhelmed and take it as a challenge because, you see, I thrive under pressure. And also, it really motivates to go against them. They set attacking fields which really helps me to score runs, so I take advantage of that and I see to it that I make the best use of it," said Iyer while speaking to the media in a virtual press conference from Canberra.
Reflecting on his dismissals, Iyer said, "I knew the short ball was going to come so I was in two minds. I was thinking of pulling and at the same time I have the upper cut. I got stuck in between two shots and I couldn't play the shot. So maybe that's the reason I got stuck in one place and the ball came and hit the middle of the bat even that time.”
"In the second match, I was just like - look at the ball and react. It's very easy to do that, rather than think what the bowler is bowling. You can actually predict, once you are set, what the bowler is going to bowl, so I usually give myself time at the start and that's what I applied in the second match and it really worked out well."
Shreyas has done pretty well in whatever opportunities he has got so far and has looked in the No 4 role for the Men in Blue.