WI vs IND: Unhappy with my dismissal, says Shreyas Iyer after failing to convert twin fifties

Shreyas Iyer has said he is "unhappy" with the way he got out in the second ODI against the West Indies before adding he would like to convert his fifties in the coming games.

Iyer scored a second consecutive half-century in India's two-wicket victory over West Indies to earn an unassailable lead of 2-0 on Sunday. Coming at No. 3, Iyer scored a 71-ball 63 during India's chase of 312 runs. Apart from Iyer, Sanju Samson and Axar Patel also contributed with half-centuries as the visitors sealed and took the chase until the final over.

It was Patel's maiden half-century in the ODIs as he struck five sixes and three fours in his knock of 64 off 35 balls.

With Virat Kohli not playing in the underway ODI series in the Caribbean, Iyer has made full use of the opportunities as he has scored a fifty in each of the two games. However, the Mumbai batsman is not very happy about not being able to convert either of the knocks but is looking to do so in the third and final ODI.

"It [No. 3] is a fun position to bat at, and I really enjoy it. It is one of the best positions to bat because you go into a very tough situation if the wicket falls in early. You go in and you have to see the new ball and then build your innings. Also if the openers have got into a really good partnership, then you have to go carry forward that momentum, take it on from where they have left and see to it that the run rate is maintained," said Iyer at the post-match conference.

Iyer now has batted at No. 3 in the ODIs five times, scoring 279 runs at an average of 55.80, including four half-centuries. He has one ODI century to his name, which came while batting at No. 4.

"Really fortunate to get to consecutive half-centuries. But I should have converted it into a century. You don't get such kind of start every time in international cricket. The more you convert your fifties into hundreds, the better it is. Today was a golden opportunity for me to convert my innings. But at the same time as long as the team is winning, I am happy to contribute.

"I was really happy to get to what score I got today. But was unhappy with the way I got dismissed. I thought that I could have taken the team through easily and set up the total, but I was very unfortunate with the way I got out. Hopefully, I will be able to score a century in the next one," added Iyer, who made his ODI debut in 2017.

On being asked about his partnership with Samson, Iyer said it was a "crucial" one considering India had lost a couple of wickets in quick succession.

"It was a crucial partnership. We lost two back-to-back wickets. We were 60 for 3 [79/3], and from there, we had to rebuild. Sanju came in and obviously showed a lot of intent. I was already batting. I had faced around 20 balls and was batting on 15.

I knew what I was going to do, and Sanju at the same time, he faced a few balls, and then he went after the spinners. He hit them for two sixes, and suddenly, the momentum shifted towards us. From there onwards, we built on the partnership and carried forward the momentum," Iyer said.

Samson and Iyer put up 99 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was trapped leg before wicket by Alzarri Joseph in the 33rd over.

Rahul sir was getting tensed towards the end, reveals Shreyas Iyer

The 27-year-old Iyer also revealed that tension arose in the dressing room during the final stages of the game and head coach Rahul Dravid constantly sent messages to the players on the field.

"It was fun, to be honest. We were all sitting together, and Rahul sir was getting very tensed; he was consistently passing on the message. I think a lot of players showed really good emotions out there and were very calm and composed in the pressure situation. And since we have played so many matches lately, I think we have already seen all these emotions.

"It was just another game for us. I think we did pretty well, especially Axar, the way he finished off today. It was an outstanding knock," added Iyer.

Meanwhile, Iyer also spoke about batting coach Vikram Rathour and how net sessions with the latter have been helping him.

"Hard work off the field always pays off. This is the reflection of what you do off the field. I am working hard because wickets and conditions are changing frequently, and you have to stay fit and keep motivating yourself. My mindset is that I will do my work and try to control the controllable," Iyer who has 12 50-plus ODI scores in 26 innings said.

The dead rubber third ODI between India and West Indies is scheduled to be played on Wednesday (July 27) at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad. After this, the five-match T20I series will go underway, starting from July 29. For the T20I series, Rohit Sharma will return to lead the side. Other senior players including Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant will also return.