Shreyas Iyer on Saturday scored 92 runs when no Indian batsman could cross the 40-run mark against Sri Lanka in Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The hosts finished their first innings at 252 runs on the track that saw spinner’s take eight wickets. 

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Iyer’s 92 came in 98 balls. He smashed 10 fours and four sixes during his stay at the crease. The 27-year-old scored his third Test fifty when the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were having trouble tackling the sharp turn. 

Mayank Agarwal (4) was run out, Rohit (15) was dismissed by left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya. Hanuma Vihari’s eventful stay was ended by Praveen Jayawickrama, while Virat Kohli’s carefully crafted short knock met its end with a ball that kept really low and had him plumb off off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva. Rishabh Pant made 39 runs. 

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For Sri Lanka, Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama took three wickets apiece while Dhananjaya de Silva got two.

Iyer has now recorded scored of 105(171), 65(125), 18(41), 14(8), 27(48) and 92 (98) in his first four Tests. 

Commentator and cricket analyst Harsha Bhogale praised Iyer’s counter-attacking. 

“Fine counter-attacking innings from Shreyas Iyer. Both Pant and Iyer have messed with the lengths of the Sri Lankan players. Over 4/over on this track is extraordinary,” Bhogale tweeted. 

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“Shreyas Iyer batting at a strike rate over 90 in a turner – this should be his best knock of his career,” a social media user wrote. 

“Shreyas Iyer just doesn’t respect off-spin, smash it each and every single time,” another one tweeted.

A social media user described Iyer’s knock as a special innings. 

“What a knock from Shreyas Iyer – 92 (98). Missed out on a very well deserving hundred. An innings to remember on a pitch where others struggled. A mighty knock by Iyer,” a third one said.