Shreyas Iyer had to wait quite a long time before making his Test debut for India. By that time, he had played 54 limited-overs games for India. He made quite a mark for Mumbai since his debut in 2014-15 season where he played his first game in Kanpur—incidentally, he would score his debut at this very venue, and forget his match kit at the team hotel. “Well, the hotel was not far, so it wasn’t too difficult to get it back. However, [then Mumbai coach Pravin Amre sir pulled me up for the lapse. I have always performed well at Kanpur so there was a sense of comfort, of nostalgia. I was also pretty confident playing there,” he told The Indian Express.
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It was a superb century that saw him bail his team out which was struggling at 145/4. When asked about his mindset about that fateful day, Iyer replied he walked in ‘with a clear mind.’ “I always walk into bat with a clear mind. When you’re batting, you can’t have your mind cluttered with too many things and plan your next shot before the ball is delivered. I believe in treating each ball on its merit and that is how I play all formats. Yes, you are eager and have a positive nervousness for your first run but at that moment, I just wanted to trust myself on each shot I was playing or attempting.”
“I have had considerable experience in the Ranji Trophy circuit where I have developed certain processes around my technique. So, I didn’t try to over-complicate things. I just focused on the processes and mindset that have worked for me in the past,” he added.
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Iyer had attacked the Kiwi bowler which is a testament to the fact that the Mumbaikar is an aggressive batter. But despite his best effort, India had to settle for a draw. Had he been quicker, the hosts could have gotten the final wicket. They would eventually go onto win the match in Mumbai, to list the trophy.
“As I said, I treat each ball on its merit and play with a clear mind. I always try to avoid pre-meditated shots. Yes, you do have a game-plan based on the pitch, conditions and the opponent’s bowling set-up but it is important to adapt to the situation and trust your instinct. I love playing freely and the good part is that the team management has given me that freedom. So, if the ball is there to score, I go for it,” he said when asked about his gung ho strike rate in the match.
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