WI vs Ind fifth T20I | Shreyas Iyer shines as India pile up competitive total against West Indies

Shreyas Iyer released the pressure piling up on him with a blistering 40-ball 64 as the Indian team, even without its regular top-order, scored a commanding 188 for seven against West Indies in the fifth T20 International, in Lauderhill on August 7, 2022.

Stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya (28 off 16 balls) played a nice little cameo to beef up the score in the end with 18 runs coming off the penultimate over bowled by Jason Holder. Due to lightning in the vicinity of the stadium, the match was halted for 15 minutes after 14.3 overs, when India were nicely placed at 135 for three.

Having failed in the first three games and dropped from the fourth, not only did Iyer performed admirably in an unfamiliar position as an opener but also won his little ‘battle within battle’ with Deepak Hooda (38 off 25 balls), who was equally impressive during his stay at the crease.

The Iyer-Hooda pair added 76 runs in only 7.1 overs and their partnership was nothing short of breathtaking with as many as four sixes (two each) hit between them apart from a flurry of fours.

The innings played a day before the Asia Cup team selection will certainly leave Iyer in a far better mind space although he is certainly going to miss out in the first XI berth when all the ‘big boys’ turn up.

The bulk of his eight fours and two sixes were all sweetly timed strokes.

Ishan Kishan (11 off 13 balls) failed to make it count and opportunities will be rare in the next two months for the pint-sized Jharkhand dasher.

Iyer teed off against Dominic Drakes with a couple of boundaries while Hooda played a cute little ramp shot over the keeper off Keemo Paul.

It was the eighth over bowled by Odean Smith where Iyer launched into the bowler with back-to-back sixes — a slash over point and a lofted drive over extra cover.

Off the first delivery by leg-spinner Hayden Walsh’s very next over, Hooda hit a picturesque inside-out six over extra cover.

However, the shot of the Indian innings was Hooda’s lofted drive over Obed McCoy’s head for a maximum.

In fact, the Baroda man would be trifle disappointed as he showed right intent while trying to deposit a Walsh half-tracker into cow corner stands but it was the string winds blowing from the opposite direction that became his undoing.

Iyer departed soon after while trying to drag a low wide full-toss from Jason Holder but in the end only managing to offer a simple return catch.