Aussies sledged me: India A batsman Iyer
Feb 19, 2017 - 8:29 AM Steve Smith gave Australian cricketers a licence to "get into a battle verbally" on their Test tour of India.Matthew Wade and David Warner have already attempted to do so, without much luck according to talented India A batsman Shreyas Iyer.
India A amassed a total of 403 in Australia's only tour game before the four-Test series starts in Pune on Thursday.
Iyer finished 202 not out, having attacked Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe with great success at Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium. The young batsman cracked seven sixes and milked easy singles.
The 22-year-old claims wicketkeeper Wade and Warner, when stationed at leg slip, were doing their best to ruin his rhythm.
"A bit of sledging keeps happening from behind, so that also keeps playing into your mind. You have to handle all kinds of pressure," Iyer said after day two of the three-day game.
"They keep talking: 'this guy doesn't know how to play defensive strokes, he can't defend the ball'
"So I was proving them wrong. I was just focusing on my batting.
"I've been to Australia for India A tour, so I'm quite used to it."
Wade has always been a vocal presence behind the stumps. Warner didn't mind a bit of chat earlier in his international career, but has been far more quiet on the park since being appointed vice-captain following the 2015 Ashes.
That promotion came seven months after Warner's heated "speak English" run-in with India batsman Rohit Sharma at the MCG, which prompted Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland to publicly rebuke him.
Battles for the Border-Gavaskar trophy are generally heated affairs.
Warner plus Indian quartet Varun Aaron, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma were all slapped with misconduct fines during the most recent Test series between the two nations.
"Each of our individuals play the way they play and if they want to get into a battle verbally then, if that gets the best out of them, go for it," Smith said on arriving in India.
"If guys want to get in those kind of battles then go for it."
Shahbaz Nadeem was also given some terse advice on Sunday, having lingered at the crease and trudged off slowly after being judged lbw.
Source: AAP
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