India triumphed over South Africa in the second Ranchi ODI by seven wickets, squaring the three-match series 1-1. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan was impressed with Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer's partnership.
Indian skipper Shikhar Dhawan said that the side's plan to take on the South African bowlers in the opening ten overs of the chase clicked. The hosts scripted a restful seven-wicket victory in the second One-Day International (ODI), levelling the three-match series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Sunday. India chased down the mark of 279 with 25 balls to spare, riding on an illuminated unbeaten 113 off 111 deliveries from Shreyas Iyer and 93 from Ishan Kishan.
"The ball was coming on nicely, but it was keeping low. So, we planned to take on the bowlers in the first ten overs. Once the dew came into the picture, it was skidding on. So, the back-foot shots were easy to execute," Dhawan communicated during the post-match presentation. Dhawan also stated that the toss of coins worked perfectly for his side, as South Africa opted to defend.
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"I am glad. Thanks to Keshav [Maharaj] that he chose to bat. I must say that Ishan [Kishan] and Shreyas [Iyer], the way they created that partnership, was great to watch," chuckled Dhawan. He also glorified his bowlers for their enactment, especially orthodox debutant spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who claimed 1/54 from his ten overs.
"I am very pleased with the bowlers, especially Shahbaz, the way he bowled in the first ten overs and got us the breakthrough," Dhawan concluded. Man of the Match for his unbeaten 113, Shreyas Iyer, declared, "I am ecstatic. When I went in to bat, I spoke to Ishan, and he was in the mindset to take on the bowlers. So, we decided to play the ball on merit and see how it goes."
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"Tomorrow is a travel day and the day after another match. Motivated, let's see what's in store for the team and me," added Iyer. Asked if there were any transformations in his batting course, Iyer said, "I am not someone who changes according to the bowler. I am someone who changes on instinct. It's not something I try in nets first. I change it in the match itself."
Stand-in South African captain Maharaj voiced, "I think we didn't expect the dew to play such a big part. That's why we opted to bat after we won the toss. But credit to Shreyas and Sanju. We expected it to get slower and lower, but after 20 overs, the pitch got better."
(With inputs from PTI)