Klaasen Targeted Spinners Well, His Execution Was Very Good: Shreyas
Mumbai: Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer credited South African batsman Heinrich Klaasen for his match-winning innings in the second T20I in Cuttack on Sunday (June 12). He praised the batsman for the way he targeted the Indian bowlers, especially the spinners.
According to the 27-year-old, Team India’s bowlers didn’t bowl poorly, but Klaasen was very good that day.
Klaasen grabbed the opportunity by scoring 81 runs off 46 balls with both hands after coming into the team as keeper-batsman in place of injured Quinton de Kock. The 30-year-old was an easy choice for the ‘Player of the Match’ in the second T20I. South Africa chased down a target of 149 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
“Klaasen hit our spinners a lot. He played shots from a good length. The ball was not turning and he was making a standing delivery. Most of the strokes he hit landed on the ropes. He batted really well and credit goes to him. I don’t think our bowlers did much wrong. They bowled in the right areas and changed his pace too. It’s just that Klaasen’s execution was great.”
Before Asan’s brilliant knock Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s magic with the ball gave India hope of defending below a total of 148. The veteran pacer dismissed Reeza Hendrix (4), Dwayne Pretorius (4) and Rassie van der Dussen (1) in his first spell. Leave the Proteas in trouble at 29/3
Praising the senior Indian pacer, Shreyas said, “He gave us a really good start, exactly what we needed. He is known for his swing bowling and the wicket really helped him. He knew the areas to bowl at. He executed his plans really well. He is someone who has got a lot of experience and is a great asset to the team.”
Bhuvneshwar dismissed Wayne Parnell (1) in the 18th over and finished with extraordinary figures of 4/13. However, by then South Africa needed a few runs to win.
Team India will have to claim victory in the remaining three T20 matches to win the series after losing their first two matches. Although it is a difficult proposition, Shreyas insists that the Men in Blue is up to the task.
He concluded: “It’s a great challenge. A lot of pressure on us. We have done it in the past and I can’t see anything which is going to stop us.”
The third T20I of the India-South Africa series will be played in Vizag on Tuesday, June 14.
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