IND vs NZ | Building partnership after losing quick wickets was important, states Shreyas Iyer

After India lost the wickets of both Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the span of seven balls, it looked like the Men in Blue were headed for defeat, with the team still needing 83 runs in just over 8 overs. However, Iyer, with due support from Shivam Dube and Manish Pandey, launched a scathing attack on the Kiwi bowlers to take the team home with an over to spare, helping the team to a 1-0 lead in the series.

The youngster, post the victory, revealed that it was important for the team to stitch partnerships post the dismissal of both Kohli and Rahul, something that they eventually did with the help of himself, Pandey and Dube. Eventually, it was the unbeaten 62-run stand between Iyer and Pandey that took the team home, helping them take an early lead in the series.

“It's amazing coming overseas and it's a really good feeling to win the game and being not out. We had lost two quick wickets and it was really important ot build a partnership,” Iyer told in the post-match presentation, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

After scoring just 30 runs in 4 overs post the dismissal of Kohli, the Indian batsmen put the foot down post the 15th over, scoring 53 runs in the next 4 to propel the team to victory. Iyer, himself, after scoring just 16 off his first 12 deliveries, struck 42 off his next 17 balls, and the 25-year-old revealed that the team was always confident in getting the runs, thanks to the small dimension of the ground.

“We knew the ground is short and we could cover the run rate at any time. It was an amazing experience, this is my first time at Eden Park, looking forward to the same crowd and the same support again for the next game.”

48 hours of rest is all Iyer will have, though, as the two teams will once again lock horns with each other at the Eden Park in Auckland on January 26.