Shreyas Iyer.
Credit: Reuters
After gifting himself a record-setting century on his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli and the Indian team crushed South Africa to confirm their place as table-toppers in the ICC World Cup 2023.
The Eden Garden crowd witnessed an amazing show of talent by the Indian team in all aspects of the game. Run machine Kohli scored 101 off 121 balls to bring home India's eighth consecutive win of the ICC World Cup.
On one hand, while Virat Kohli constructed a historic century, star batter Shreyas Lyer returned to form with an outstanding half-century against the Proteas. Iyer produced a stroke-filled innings of 77 off 87 balls. India captain Rohit praised Iyer for his game-winning knock, as the star batter returned to scoring ways before the crucial knockout phase of the ICC World Cup.
"We needed Kohli to go out there and play the situation. We then knew we had to keep it in the right areas and let the pitch do the rest. [on Shreyas Iyer] Even if the faith hadn't been repaid, I would have still stuck to them. We need to keep the trust. It can't be done every day," said Rohit.
In the same match, Ravindra Jadeja became the first player to take five wickets, and Mohammed Shami who took crucial wickets ensured that South Africa suffered its greatest loss in the World Cup.
Shami has taken 16 wickets for India in just four matches and is one of the top five leading wicket takers of this World Cup.
“For Shami to come back the way he has, shows the mindset. The last two games have shown what Iyer is capable of,” said Rohit, as per Hindustan Times.
"If you look at how we have played in the last three games, we have adapted better. We were put under pressure against England. But we got a decent score and then the seamers did the job. We lost a wicket in the first over. Then got runs and then the seamers did well," said the Indian skipper.
The Indians will play the Netherlands next in Bengaluru in their last league match.