Shreyas Iyer believes India will be back in more familiar surroundings when they begin the five-match T20I series against England on Wednesday, after citing that the playing conditions in Belfast posed a unique challenge during their shock 0-2 series defeat to Ireland.
Ireland completed a historic sweep with a one-run win in the second T20I after winning the opener by 34 runs, handing India their first men’s T20I series loss since 2023.
Reflecting on the contrast between the venue in Ireland and those that India will play in England now, Iyer said the Belfast ground demanded adjustments that the visitors were not accustomed to making.
“I feel it’s completely different. The Belfast ground definitely wasn’t a proper stadium outfield – there was a bit
of a slope, it was uneven, and the dimensions were a bit squarish. So cutting off singles, cutting off doubles – especially when you’re fielding in the outfield, the angles – also as a captain, setting the field felt a bit outlandish because we’re not used to that. In the IPL, all the grounds are perfectly even from every direction. So that was challenging,” Iyer said on Tuesday.
Iyer though expects a different test in England, where India are more familiar with both the venues and the atmosphere.
“Over here, the dimensions are pretty similar, but the ground is flat and you feel the vibe – the stadium vibe, the crowd will be intense as well. We’ve played in such conditions, such situations before. So yes, building into that, getting into that,” Iyer said.
India’s batting unit struggled to adapt in Belfast, with Ireland’s seamers exploiting the bounce and unusually large square boundaries to restrict strokeplay across both matches.
After the opening defeat, Iyer had stressed that his side “can’t take anything for granted” and admitted they had failed to execute their plans in unfamiliar conditions.
The series opener will be held at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street.
