At the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, the Men in Blue, headed by Shikhar Dhawan, successfully chased down a respectable 279-run mark in the second One-Day International against visitors South Africa and levelled the series 1-1, making the decisive game even more exciting. India won by seven wickets thanks to a 161-run third-wicket stand between Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer. Ishan Kishan, a local player, was dismissed after scoring 93 runs off 84 balls, falling seven runs short of his first ODI century.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer (113* off 111) scored a fantastic century and remained unbroken during the entire pursuit. Sanju Samson joined Iyer after Ishan Kishan was dismissed, and the two of them shared an undefeated 73-run partnership.
After the second ODI, Ishan Kishan spoke to the media in the post-game press conference and discussed the win and the team’s strategy. Kishan had a resounding reaction when asked about rotating the strikes, saying: “Rotate karne ki jahna tak baat hai toh wo kuch players ka strength hota hai, kinhi ka strength hota hai chhakka marna. Toh mere jaisa koi chhakka bhi itni jaldi nahi maar pata hai, main bohut asaani se maarta hu. Wo mera strength hai. Toh agar main chhakke se hi kar leta hu kaam toh rotate ka utna sochta nahi hu. (Some players have the strength to rotate the strike, my strength is to hit sixes. I hit sixes effortlessly and not many can do that. If I do the job by hitting sixes, there’s no need to think about rotating the strike much).”
Kishan was bowled while attempting to hit a six, just seven runs short of reaching his first ODI century. The southpaw, though, said that scoring runs for the team is more important than setting personal records and that he would take the shot if he felt he could slap the ball for a huge hit. “But haan bohot se aise innings aayenge jahna pe rotation bhi zaroori hoga, jahan pe wickets pehle gir gaye honge toh uske liye bhi practice karna zaroori hai but agar strength chhakka hai aur ball hai maarne layak toh maaro chhakka. (If your strength is hitting sixes then go for it, what’s the need of rotating the strike just for the sake of it. But yes there will be a time when rotating the strike would be key with wickets falling at the other end),” Kishan added.
