Former India opener Aakash Chopra has remarked that India will make a change or two to their playing XI for the second and final Test of the India-New Zealand but it will not include Shreyas Iyer getting dropped; especially after his stellar debut in the 1st game at Green Park in Kanpur.
While Chopra did not mention who, according to him, will be given the axe, he maintained that Iyer has sealed his place after scoring an impressive century (105) in his first-ever Test innings and a skillful, gritty 65 in the second.
While speaking during the tea-break show on Star Sports, cricketer-turned-commentator Chopra quipped:
"The only Indian to score and century and fifty in a Test match on debut. The first innings was brilliant because there were nerves but the pitch was a little better. Nobody had seen what he was bringing to the table in the longer format. The second innings, in my opinion, is far more challenging and therefore far more satisfying. These 65 runs he has scored came under enormous pressure because if he had gotten out in the first innings, India would have batted again anyways. Test match, like life, gives you the second opportunity but not when you are batting for the second time. If Shreyas Iyer had been dismissed in that point of time in the second innings, this was game, set, and match in favour of New Zealand.
“So, him being there and dominating with regards to how he played the spinners, now it's almost impossible to ignore him, drop him for the next Test match no matter who is coming in. Somebody will go out but that guy won't be Shreyas Iyer," commented Chopra.
{{/usCountry}}“So, him being there and dominating with regards to how he played the spinners, now it's almost impossible to ignore him, drop him for the next Test match no matter who is coming in. Somebody will go out but that guy won't be Shreyas Iyer," commented Chopra.
{{/usCountry}}