Shreyas Iyer credits Ranji experience for fitness and form

NAGPUR: While watching a movie and contemplating “extending his night,” a call from India captain Rohit Sharma alerted him about replacing Virat Kohli in the first ODI against England and Shreyas Iyer channeled all his recent domestic circuit experience to score his 19th ODI fifty, playing a pivotal role in India’s chase on Thursday.

Iyer walked in when India was shaken twice early to slip to 19 for two chasing 249, but produced a stunning counter-attack hitting two sixes and nine fours to make 59 off 36 balls, which took the wind out of England’s sails.

“So (it is a) funny story. I was watching a movie. I thought that I could extend my night, but then I got a call from skipper saying that you may play because Virat has got a swollen knee,” Iyer told Star Sports.

“And then (I) hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straight away…. I’m going to keep it low-key and just cherish this moment, the victory.”

“I wasn’t supposed to play the first game, Virat unfortunately got injured and then I got the opportunity. But I kept myself prepared, I knew that at any point of time I can get a chance to play,” he said.

Iyer continued, “The same thing happened with me last year as well during the Asia Cup. I got injured and someone else came and he scored a century.”

For someone who was criticised for ignoring domestic cricket over IPL, Iyer credited his experience last year for both his fitness and form.

“I played throughout the domestic season, it taught me a lot and gave me a decent idea about how to approach my innings, the attitude I have to keep and it’s just the mindset that I’ve improved over a period of time,” he said.

“Also, from the skills point of view, you need to upgrade yourself, elevate and keep learning every now and then. I think I ticked all the boxes right and also my fitness played an important role,” Iyer added.

Iyer, who scored a couple of centuries including a double in the Ranji Trophy this season, also guided Mumbai to title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.

Early in his innings, Iyer began with clobbering England express pacer Jofra Archer for a six over midwicket and another hit for maximum over the third man.

The India No 4 acknowledged that it takes specific preparations to face high pace bowling.

“I didn’t decide that I would be playing in a particular way or I would be changing something,” he said when asked about his tactics to handle short balls.

“Throughout the domestic series as you see, I was playing with a similar back lift and stance and obviously if the bowler is bowling about 140-145, you would like to use the crease as much as possible and just to use the pace and guide the ball in the gaps, that was my mindset.”