Virat is one of the greats, no chance of stealing that spot from him: Shreyas Iyer

Indore, Sep 24 (IANS) Indian batter Shreyas Iyer smashed a thrilling century in the second ODI against Australia, as the hosts beat visitors by a massive 99 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, here on Sunday.

For his strong comeback after six months due to back injury, Shreyas's inning of 105 runs off 90 deliveries, was awarded ‘Player of the Match’. He raced to his third ODI hundred off 86 balls.

“It was a rollercoaster right, feeling fantastic. My teammates, friends, and family were there for my support. I was seeing the matches on TV, I wanted to be out there and participate in the matches,” Iyer said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

“The pain and niggles kept on coming, but I knew what I was aiming for. Glad that I was able to execute my plans perfectly today. Basically, when I went in to bat, I didn't want to complicate things. I wanted to get my eyes set, that's how I give confidence to myself,” he stated.

The India pair of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer's twin centuries made the base for India's massive total against Australia, as the spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin rattled the Australian batting lineup.

In the absence of Virat Kohli, Iyer batted at third on Sunday. But the RCB captain will be back in the squad for the final ODI and Iyer may be asked to shift. 

According to Iyer, Kohli is "one of the greats" and cannot unseat the former Indian captain from the No. 3 slot.

“I am flexible, ready to bat in any position, whatever my team needs to do. Virat is one of the greats, no chance of stealing that spot from him. Need to keep scoring,” Iyer added.

Gill expressed his satisfaction at scoring a century in his post-match remarks, adding that he was pleased that the Indian squad has picked momentum at the right time. 

"Yeah, it feels good. We are satisfied as a team. We have the momentum at the right time," Gill said after the match. 

"It depends on the situation, there is definitely some confidence that I can cover up later, I have that confidence because I am scoring at the moment. Yeah, definitely with the way KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav played, they kept the momentum going. 400 on any ground is tough to chase, and the bowlers did the task," Shubman said.

Shubman’s inning of 104 off 97 deliveries, comprised six fours and four sixes, as he went to hit his 6th century and first, against Australia. Gill started slow, hitting his first 9 runs in the 19 balls. He picked up pace later on reaching his century in 92 balls.