Their only recent match practice came against Japan in a rain-shortened game, which India won by just two runs in a five-over-a-side contest at the Sano International Cricket Ground. Nagoya has been battered by relentless rain over the last two days, severely disrupting India’s preparations for the knockout stage. The narrow escape may have raised concerns, but Iyer was in no mood to dwell on circumstances.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said torrential rain, limited practice and an awkward build-up will not be excuses when his side faces Afghanistan in the Asian Games quarterfinal here on Monday, stressing that a professional team must be ready for whatever conditions come its way.
Because we are a bunch of professionals, “We cannot cite the reason of rain. “We got decent time for knocking and warm-up and we got some practice. That is secondary. The primary thing is to come and play the match.”
Such hurdles keep coming and mentally we have to be prepared irrespective of what the situation is going to be,” Iyer said on Sunday. Tomorrow we will try to adapt to the wicket quickly and see how the weather is.
“Not just Afghanistan, even Japan gave us good competition the other day,” he said. The women’s team has already secured gold, raising the anticipation around the men’s campaign, but Iyer said that pressure was something the players should embrace rather than carry into the middle. “Every match is important because every match gives us practice,” he said.
“The wicket here is not set as per a particular standard, so adaptation is very important. It will be challenging and difficult for every team. That ability to adapt could become particularly important in a tournament where the conditions and match rhythm have been repeatedly affected by rain. India’s brief outing against Japan offered little room for comfort, with the contest reduced to a frantic five overs a side. For India, there is also the weight of expectation. “When there are expectations, you want to deliver, but at the same time I think we should not think too much about the outcome. The standard we have set as a team, we should transcend that in every match. “The way cricket is growing, competition is also increasing and it is good for cricket overall. The more opportunities we get to play matches, the better. So we will have to maintain good fitness and mindset.”
