The pitches where we were practising were completely different to what we played in the match: Shreyas Iyer

The Indian cricket team registered two defeats, on a trot, against Australia in the three-match One Day Series at Sydney Cricket Ground. The two cricketing superpowers will now be up against each other in a dead-rubber on December 2, Wednesday at Manuka Oval, Canberra.

Ahead of the match, India’s middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer opined on one of the reasons behind the visitors loss in the series. He reckoned that the Australian conditions are completely different from the pitches of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the cricketers had featured in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020).

Shreyas Iyer also revealed that the grounds that were given to Indian team for training in Australia were completely different from the wickets of the stadiums in which the games are being played. Notably, the Indian team was granted special permissions on the request of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) by the New South Wales government to train at the Blacktown International Sports Park while they were completing their 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

Quarantine was really tough, reveals Shreyas Iyer

“We had just arrived from Dubai. In Dubai, there was not as much bounce as it is in Australia. And where we were practicing that was a very different wicket than from the one in the match — it was a completely different wicket,” said Iyer during a media interaction a day ahead of the third and final ODI to be played at the Manuka Oval.

“Getting acclimatised to conditions as a batsman takes some amount of time. It is like a challenge. You have to adjust as quickly as possible, irrespective of the conditions and atmosphere in the ground,” he added.

Speaking about surviving the 14-day quarantine period in Australia, Shreyas Iyer asserted that it was mentally exhausting to be locked in the room and just come out for the practice. However, the batsman added that they don’t have the right to complain because as a professional it is a part of their job.

“Quarantine was really tough when we came in. Staying in the room for 14 days and only going for practice and coming back. At the same time we are professionals and are getting some games to play, so we can’t complain,” added Iyer.