SA vs IND: Shikhar Dhawan reveals the reason for Venkatesh Iyer not bowling in the 1st ODI

South Africa came up trumps in the 1st ODI match against the Indian side, winning the game by 31 runs. And, one of the talking points from the match was the fact that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer was not given even a single over to bowl.

And now, Shikhar Dhawan has opened up on why Iyer did not roll his arm over in the 1st ODI against South Africa. Dhawan opined that India did not need the services of Iyer as the spinners had done well and there was some turn on offer.

Dhawan also added that India turned to their main bowlers when the wickets were not falling in the South African innings. The 36-year-old also said that towards the end of the innings, India turned to their spinners.

“We didn’t need him because the spinners did well and there was some turn in the wicket. Fast bowlers were mostly used at the end. In the middle-overs when the wicket was not falling, our thinking was to bring back the main bowlers to get the breakthrough but we couldn’t do that. Then, in the end, it was important to bring our main bowlers, like our spinners,” said Shikhar Dhawan in the post-match press conference.

Players should always put the team first: Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan also offered some advice to the young batters in the Indian side. The left-hander said that a batter should play according to the need of the team, and added that a batter should always put his team first. Dhawan concluded by stating that the youngsters will get refined as they gain experience.

“That you need to play according to the demands of the situation, should always put the team first, that your individual game is important but at the same time practicality and knowing how much you can mould your game for the team is also important. Like if the team needs a partnership, then you should build one and those kind of things. And I feel that it will all get refined with time and experience,” concluded Shikhar Dhawan.