Dubai, March 5 Former India cricketer and ex-coach Ravi Shastri presented Shreyas Iyer the 'Fielder of the Match' medal for his ripper of the throw like a bullet in India's Champions Trophy semifinal win against world champions Australia on Tuesday.
After Virat Kohli's valiant 84, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul put on a late show to take India to a third straight Champions Trophy Final after a tense run-chase against Australia in Dubai.
When Alex Carey was threatening to run away with the game for Australia, Shreyas' impressive fielding effort helped India get the much-needed wicket. Carey, who played a 61-run knock, looked set to take Australia past the 275-run mark, but Shreyas' direct hit from the deep dismissed the left-hander and halted Australia's momentum.
Following the win, India's fielding coach T Dilip addressed the players in the dressing room and lauded their efforts in the field and revealed the contenders for the best fielding honours, before inviting former coach Shastri to present a medal to Shreyas.
"Knockout game demands presence, awareness; it demands a fielding unit that doesn't react but creates things that are happening. This is exactly what we did... The way we cut the angles in the field, the way we made sure that no second run was easy on the outfield. And also making sure that every run they have earned it, that is a proof of top-notch fielding effort, which is a combination of skill and will," said Dilip in a video posted on BCCI.tv.
"Individual brilliance will take you only to a certain level, but it's a collective team effort that will take you across the finish line. Today two champions were playing; pressure game, character shown, team effort, flashes of brilliance on the field always make a difference," Shastri said in his speech.
India finished atop Group A, winning all three of their fixtures against Bangladesh. With a semifinal win, India also exacted revenge on Australia, whom they had lost to in the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023.
They will now take on the winner of the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand in Dubai on March 9.
"You are by far the best team in this tournament so far, one more to go," Shastri added.
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