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IND vs AUS: Shreyas Iyer’s temperament earns coach Rahul Dravid’s trust
The middle-order batter is expected to walk back into the playing XI if his fitness holds
After enduring an innings defeat in the opening Test, it won’t come as welcome news to the Australian contingent that India’s resources are bolstered for the second Test from Friday. Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer missed the Nagpur Test due to a back injury, but at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, he had a nearly hour-long batting stint at the nets without any palpable hint of discomfort.
KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma were in the nets at the same time as Iyer while Suryakumar Yadav and reserve keeper Ishan Kishan came in after all the specialist batters finished their stints, an indication perhaps of how the hosts will line up for the game.
Yadav just had the one innings in his debut Test in Nagpur — he was bowled by Nathan Lyon after scoring eight runs owing to a yawning gap between bat and pad — but India head coach Rahul Dravid made it clear that Iyer will walk back into the team as long as he has another hassle-free session on Thursday.
“Yeah, without it being written in stone, we certainly value the contributions of people who have been there. If they have missed out due to injury, they really deserve the right to come back in if they have performed irrespective of what has happened in the time that they were injured. I can't answer for everyone but that’s the outlook of the team management. Iyer deserves to come back. People in the team understand that as well,” Dravid told reporters after India’s gruelling two-hour training session.
The show of confidence in Iyer comes from his performances over the past 18 months. Having made a solid beginning against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021 with scores of 105 and 65, Iyer ensured that he kept the jitters of a tentative Test beginning at bay. He has been posed with several challenges since, but he has always found a way of overcoming obstacles.
The most recent challenge came in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur in December. In pursuit of 145 in the fourth innings, India had slumped to 71/6 when Iyer came out to bat at No 8. With a loss against Bangladesh likely to have diabolical ramifications for an Indian team that had lost the one-day series, Iyer saved them from that ignominy with a calming 29 not out in 46 balls. He had also made an attacking 87 in India’s first innings, propelling his average to 56.72 after seven Tests.
His assured footwork against spin aside, it’s his ability to soak pressure that pleases Dravid. Iyer began on Wednesday by facing throwdowns before moving on to the net where the spin trio of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were in operation. That’s where he spent the longest time, using his nimble feet to step out and smother the spin when appropriate.
“What has stood out is his temperament. We have been in quite a few pressure situations with Shreyas around in the last one-and-a-half years right from his debut. He, Pant and Jadeja are the ones who have been bailing us out and playing those critical knocks. That’s a really good sign, along with his skill of playing spin really well. He’s spent a lot of time in domestic cricket before getting in. So, he obviously knows how to get runs,” Dravid said of the 28-year-old. “At this level, what also really counts is that ability to find answers when you are under pressure. He’s been very good at that. He’s been one of our better players.”
Green, Starc train with Aussie team
For the Australians, the sight of all-rounder Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc bowling during their training session on Wednesday morning must have been hugely comforting. Both players were unavailable for the opening Test due to finger injuries. While Green didn’t seem to be operating at full tilt, Starc had a longish spell of bowling on the centre square of the main ground. They also came in for a batting stint later on.
Green lends the Aussies all-round balance given that he bats at No 6 and provides a useful seam-bowling option, which will allow the visitors to play three spinners and the lone specialist pacer if the conditions warrant.
