The former India batter analysed Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 102 and Abhishek Sharma's early exit in the series opener at Lucknow.
Shreyas Iyer struck his maiden T20I century on October 6 in the opening match of the series against West Indies at Lucknow. The India captain scored an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls, hitting 10 fours and 6 sixes in a dominant display. Iyer reached his half-century off 28 balls and accelerated sharply thereafter, adding the next 52 runs off just 15 balls. India chased down West Indies' total of 171 runs in 14.4 overs, winning by 8 wickets with 32 balls to spare.
Coming into the series under scrutiny after a lean run that had seen him go without a half-century in his previous 10 T20I appearances, Iyer answered his critics with the stunning century. Cheteshwar Pujara analysed the innings on JioHotstar's Game Plan, highlighting the timing and context of Iyer's breakthrough performance. The former India batter stressed that Iyer's quality as a T20 cricketer had never been in doubt, but the performance at Lucknow demonstrated complete control and awareness of match situations.
"It came at the right time because he was looking for that form. There were not any questions regarding his batting because, when it comes to the T20 format, I think Shreyas is an exceptional cricketer, so there is no doubt about his quality. But the kind of flow he was in during the innings at Lucknow, the moment he walked in, he was timing the ball and was clearing the infield during the powerplay well. Once he got set, he started playing big shots and hitting big sixes." Pujara said on JioStar.
"So, he was in complete control. He knew which bowler he had to target. So yes, this innings came at the right time because he needed this knock. When you are leading the team, you lead by example, and this is the example you want to set in front of the young players," he added.
Sharma's early dismissal and the pitch conditions
India's chase began uncertainly as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson departed early, leaving the hosts at 35 for two inside the powerplay. Pujara examined the circumstances of Sharma's exit and the challenges he faced against the West Indies bowling attack. The former batter noted that Sharma had started well against the pace bowlers but struggled when the opposition adjusted their approach with spinners on the Lucknow pitch.
"Abhishek got off to a good start against seamers, but Shai Hope quickly realised on that Lucknow pitch there was enough assistance for the spinners. Abhishek's record against off-spinners hasn't been great, though he's improved that number significantly. But at Lucknow again, it looked like he wasn't in the best frame of mind against spinners. His options, especially against Roston Chase, could have been slightly better," he said.
"He wanted to hit that ball over covers, but eventually it ended up going to long-off. I'm sure he will learn this very quickly, because he's timing the ball well. The turnaround time between the games wasn't ideal, so with one game, you don't judge him too much. It was just one of those off days for him, but in the second T20I, he will be raring to go," he concluded.