Ranchi, Oct 10 (IANS): India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer revealed he wasn't interested in intruding Ishan Kishan's privacy during their match-winning 161-run stand as the left-hander was in "beast mode" against South Africa in the second ODI at the JSCA International Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a challenging 279, Iyer and Kishan shared a match-winning stand of 161 off 155 balls for the third wicket to give a seven-wicket win and level the three-match series 1-1.
Iyer mixed excellent timing and placement apart from using his feet very well against the spinner to be unbeaten on 113 not out off 111 balls, including 15 fours, last of which was the winning runs for India.
Sunday's century was Iyer's second ton in the ODI format, and strengthens his case to be in the mix for middle-order for the 50-over World Cup to be held next year in India. "The celebration was nothing much, it just came instinctively. I didn't decide that I would be celebrating in a certain way, but I want to appreciate the crowd. They came out in numbers and the atmosphere was electrifying.
"I was excited about the contest, as you (Kishan) mentioned, about the wicket, how it's going to play, I just applied in my mind in a similar fashion and things turned out pretty well for me," said Iyer to Kishan in a video chat on the official website of BCCI.
Kishan was the phenomenal aggressor with his 93 off 84 balls, hitting four fours and seven sixes, though he fell short of his first international century on his home turf. By then, an Indian victory was anything but certain. Iyer also evoked the "beast mode" term used by former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn to describe Kishan's knock.
"So, (my) preparation, I just came and took some knocking yesterday (on Saturday), but I was disappointed when you missed out on your hundred. I just wanted to talk to you and communicate pretty well, but since you were in beast mode, and in your zone, I didn't want to intrude your privacy. Nonetheless, we won the match, and at the end of the day, it takes two to tango. I'm really happy that we finished on a good note and probably in the next game, you might get a century," added Iyer.
Kishan, on the other hand, credited his previous knowledge of conditions in his home ground and Iyer as well for taking India to victory in second ODI. "I know this wicket very well. I have played so many matches here. I know how the wicket plays. When the pace bowlers bowl, it comes good pretty well on the bat. I was only trying to middle the ball."
"It's not easy to score runs when balls get old. We had practised here and the ball was travelling pretty quickly when we played our shots. With you striking from the first ball, there was no pressure on me, and it helped me to take some time in the middle and play my natural game. Credit goes to you too."
Kishan signed off by saying he had immense self-belief to attack the left-arm spinner and change the gears for a successful chase of 279. "When the pacer bowlers are bowling those yorkers, slower ones, it becomes difficult to attack. So my plan was to attack the two left-arm spinners. I decided if the ball was in my arc, I will just go for it. I have belief in my shots when I am positive and trying to get runs for the team and tried to put pressure on them."