Shreyas Iyer praised Cooper Connolly’s maturity after India fell short in Adelaide ODI thriller.
Adelaide
India’s vice-captain Shreyas Iyer credited Australia’s Cooper Connolly for guiding his team to a tense 2-wicket win in the second ODI at Adelaide. Despite a valiant 118-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, Iyer’s 53-run effort went in vain as Australia chased India’s total of 264 for 9 in 46.2 overs.
India’s innings had a rocky start, losing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli within the first seven overs. Iyer and Rohit rebuilt the innings with controlled aggression, rotating the strike and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. “It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on, especially at the start. Hazlewood was bowling amazingly well. Our aim was to rotate the strike and reach a total where we could charge the bowlers,” Iyer explained.
Australia’s chase was challenging, as they lost eight wickets, but Connolly’s unbeaten 61 showcased composure and maturity under pressure. “It was a superb performance, and Cooper, especially being a youngster, showed a lot of character. He’s someone I’ve watched in India A vs Australia A matches, and he knows how to target bowlers selectively,” Iyer said.
Shreyas admitted the loss hurt, calling the match a “do-or-die” opportunity for India. He highlighted the advantage Australian bowlers had on the wicket and credited their execution. He also reflected on his modified upright batting stance, which he developed to adapt to variable bounce conditions and improve his shot-making.
Having established himself as India’s No. 4 in ODIs, Iyer recently took a break from red-ball cricket to maintain intensity at the international level. Despite the defeat, he remains focused on evolving with conditions and contributing consistently to India’s white-ball setup.