NEW DELHI: India’s decision to bat first in the opening T20I against England surprised many. With overcast skies and rain around, most teams would have preferred to bowl first after winning the toss at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.However, India’s captain Shreyas Iyer he chose to bat, and India’s former batsman Dinesh Karthik believe there was a major reason behind that decision – the recent 2-0 T20I series loss against Ireland.
“Ireland’s hangover was here”
India had opted to field first in both T20Is against Ireland but failed to chase down the targets. They lost the first match by 34 runs and the second by a single run.Karthik feels that these defeats have influenced India’s thinking against England.“India choosing to bat was a good decision, although obviously there was some time around the corner constantly… The general trend is to chase totals,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.“It was a bit of an unfair evening there because the rain was still looming around the corner, but I think Ireland’s hangover was there a bit. So, India decided, ‘don’t chase it and bat first,'” he added.
Game abandoned after rain
India’s plan looked promising as they posted a competitive 189/7 in 20 overs before heavy rain brought the match to an early end.The rain started towards the end of India’s innings and only got heavier. With just over 40 minutes remaining before the cut-off time for a five-over game, the umpires called off the match.Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a 47-ball 68, while opening Abhishek Sharma he scored 59. All-rounder Shivam Dube provided the late bloomer with an unbeaten 42 off just 21 balls.The second match of the five-match T20I series will be played in Manchester on July 4.
Iyer crosses 5,000 international runs
The match also became a personal milestone for Shreyas Iyer, who completed 5,000 international runs for India during his knock of 68. He reached the landmark with an innings that included six fours and a six at a rate of 144 overs.So far, Iyer has scored 5,031 runs in 147 international matches at an average of 39.61 and a strike rate of 96.06. His tally includes six centuries and 37 half-centuries, with a highest score of 128 not out.In Tests, he scored 811 runs in 14 matches at an average of 36.86, including one century and five fifties.ODIs remain his most successful format, with 3,035 runs in 79 matches at an average of 45.98, including five centuries and 23 fifties.In T20Is, Iyer has scored 1,184 runs in 54 matches at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of over 135, with nine fifties and a highest score of 74 not out.
