Shreyas Iyer displayed maturity to help India out of a hole in their win over Sri Lanka in the second test while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's performances in the series were among the best of his career, skipper Rohit Sharma said on Monday.
Batter Iyer was named man of the match after India beat Sri Lanka by 238 runs to seal the series 2-0 while Pant was player of the series after two half-centuries and numerous dismissals behind the stumps in the two tests. Read full story
India's batsmen struggled on a pitch offering sharp turn and variable bounce but Iyer showed positive intent and top scored with 92 in the first innings before helping India build a lead of 400 runs in the second innings with a knock of 67.
"I was very impressed with his (Iyer's) performances, it's not easy on these pitches, especially in just his fourth test," Rohit told reporters.
"He showed composure and went in with a plan. It showed a lot of maturity about his own game, batting at number six in these conditions is never easy. The game is always in the balance and it can shift either way in that position."
Pant made a fine start in the first innings before falling for 39 but he provided the fireworks in the second when he blazed to the fastest test fifty by an Indian batsman in 28 balls, breaking a 40-year-old record held by Kapil Dev.
The 24-year-old has been criticised in the past for his risky stroke-play but Rohit said he was happy with the keeper's game plans which seemed to be getting better with each match.
"As a team we want to give him that freedom to bat in the way he wants to bat but also keeping in mind situations in the game. We've conveyed that to him," Rohit said.
"There are times you smash your head and wonder why he played that shot but ... he's someone who can change the game in half an hour."
Pant was also key to India's successful reviews on the field and Rohit said the wicketkeeper had been making better calls.
"DRS (Decision Review System) is like a lottery ... but I've made it very clear with Pant what I want on a DRS call. There are aspects I've told him to look into," Rohit added.
"The most significant factor in this series was his keeping. It's the best that I've seen."