IND vs SA 2022: Shikhar Dhawan praises Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan

Shikhar Dhawan celebrates a wicket with teammates (PC: Twitter)

Shikhar Dhawan failed to get going in a tricky run-chase against South Africa in the second ODI. However, his troops anchored the ‘Men in Blue’ past the finishing line, and levelled the three-match series with a game to spare.

After early setbacks, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer charted an empowering 161-run stand, while wicketkeeper Sanju Samson contributed with a handy 30* in the finishing stages.

IND vs SA 2022: Team India celebrates win, watch video

IND vs SA 2022: Shikhar Dhawan praises Iyer, Kishan and predicts bright future for the debutant

Shreyas Iyer crafted an imposing 113* off just 111 balls. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan scored 93 during his six-laden 84-ball stay at the crease.

India’s interim skipper Shikhar Dhawan praised the two cricketers for their remarkable contributions in the run-chase. The seasoned opener acknowledged their noteworthy partnership on a tricky wicket, where the ball was frequently keeping low earlier in the innings.

The cricketer also added that losing the toss and batting second was a blessing in disguise, in regards to the presence of dew in the second half of the game. Dhawan said:

“We knew dew was going to be there, and we played at the right time. Kudos to Ishan and Shreyas for the way they batted and the partnership they had.”

“The ball was coming on nicely, but it was skidding, and the ball was keeping a bit low. We knew that in the first 10 overs, it was going to be difficult, so we played freely after that.”

The skipper also heaped praise on debutant Shahbaz Ahmed. The 27-year-old all-rounder bowled his quota of 10 overs and even trapped South African opener Janneman Malan in front of stumps earlier in the match.

“It was amazing to watch Shahbaz, it was a good debut and he will have a good future.”

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