Shreyas Iyer's no-nonsense take on Bazball: 'I don’t really think about what the opposition is going to do'

India’s middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer began the preparation for the five-Test series against England with a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai against Andhra Pradesh. The England series which starts on 25 January is seen as an opportunity for England to win their first Test series in India since 2012. The new-found aggressive Bazball style of play is what makes England a dangerous opposition. Iyer, however, is not bothered about Bazball and says that Inda must stick to their plans and not think too much about their opponents.

He spoke exclusively to JioCinema.

Excerpts:

On playing the Ranji Trophy match ahead of the series against England

It was a nice experience. I wasn’t expecting much from myself to be honest, but I wanted to create a rhythm going forward into the five-Test matches. The intensity will be high. Also, to stand on the field for 90 overs takes a lot of effort, so it all started from here (match against Andhra Pradesh).

On the challenges of playing a five-Test series

You have to take one match at a time and not think much ahead. You have to take all the factors into consideration. In terms of your mental ability, the stress is going to be a lot but at the same time, you have to handle the pressure situations well. So, these are the pros and cons of playing Test matches. You have to be mentally inclined towards adapting across 90 overs and as I mentioned, this was the right practice for me coming into the Ranji Trophy and getting used to the situation.

On developing his game against spin bowling

I grew up playing my cricket in Shivaji Park Gymkhana (Mumbai). The wickets there were predominantly spin-friendly, so I had to adapt and get used to them and be versatile in terms of my approach. Also, I played a lot of tennis-ball cricket in my society which was under-arm and you had to spin the ball. The culmination of all these factors led me to playing spin very well.

On his thoughts on Bazball

To be honest, I don’t really think about what the opposition is going to do and what kind of mindset they are going to come with. It’s important we stick to our own plans and focus on our own abilities rather than concentrate much on our opponents. So, these are the small qualities we have to keep in mind and look forward to put our best foot forward and see to it that we seize the moment.

Catch all the live action from India vs Afghanistan – 3rd T20I on January 17, 2024, Wednesday, 7:00 PM onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on JioCinema, Sports18 1 (SD + HD), and Colors Cineplex (SD + HD)