Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Shreyas Iyer joins India squad in Delhi ahead of 2nd Test against Australia

Shreyas Iyer's addition will tempt the management to give him a chance in the middle-order. If that is the case, then it will be interesting to see who will face the axe.

Star India batter Shreyas Iyer rejoined the rest of the India squad for the Delhi Test against Australia, which starts from Friday. The BCCI had sent Iyer to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru days ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Nagpur as a precautionary measure.

Shreyas Iyer plays a shot (AFP)

Iyer is making a return after a back injury, which had also ruled him out of the New Zealand ODIs. The BCCI released an official statement in this regard, which read: “Shreyas Iyer has successfully completed his rehab at the National Cricket Academy following his back injury and has been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team.

"Shreyas will join the squad in New Delhi ahead of the second Test of the Mastercard Australia tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”

Iyer has been out of action for over a month now, but his addition will tempt the management to give him a chance in the middle-order. If that is the case, then it will be interesting to see who will face the axe.

Iyer's absence from the first Test gave management an opportunity to try T20 specialist Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order. Unlike Iyer, who had slammed a ton in his Test debut, Suryakumar failed to notch such figures, and was packed for 8 by Nathan Lyon.

Stamping his authority right from the word go, Iyer has been a regular feature in India's playing XI especially in Test and 50-over format. The batter has so far played seven Tests, and in the small time has emerged to be one of the vital cogs in the middle-order.

Iyer has amassed 624 runs from seven outings. Even during India's last Test series, which was against Bangladesh in December last year, the Mumbaikar scored 80-plus knocks in both the matches. In fact, he stitched a crucial 71-run stand with R Ashwin for the eighth wicket in the fourth innings of the Dhaka Test, thus rescuing India from a tricky situation and helping his side complete the 145-run chase to complete a clean sweep.

Meanwhile, the BCCI had released seamer Jaydev Unadkat from the squad ahead of the second, to allow him to appear for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy finals against Bengal, which takes place on Thursday at the Eden Gardens.

India had produced a dominant show in the opener and wrapped the contest inside three days after defeating Australia by an innings and 132 runs. Rohit Sharma and Co. will now look to carry forward the momentum in the second Test, while Pat Cummins' Australia will hope for a change in fortune, especially after the dreadful Nagpur mauling.

India’s squad for second Test: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav