Amid spasms and failures, can Shreyas Iyer save his sinking red-ball ship?
Shreyas Iyer getting dropped from India's squad for the final three Tests against England had an air of inevitability about it, enough to suggest just how quick and tragic his fall from grace has been from what was a promising start to his Test career.
Coming into the Visakhapatnam Test, both Shubman Gill and Iyer were under pressure due to a lack of big scores under their belt. The morning session of Day 3 of the Test almost seemed like a stage set by the cricketing gods, allowing both the batters to come good for their team in a crunch situation.
Shreyas Iyer's lovely on-drive boundary off James Anderson marked the end of what seemed like a defining period of play for both him and Gill. After losing both their openers, the two under-fire batters had stabilized the Indian ship, sowing seeds of hope for an afternoon session where both would cash in.
While Gill converted his start into a big score, Iyer couldn't. His miscued shot could have evaded the mid-off fielder easily. However, Ben Stokes completed a sensational catch, showing flexibility forcing many to even praise his knee surgeon.
While it felt like an unlucky dismissal, the way Shreyas Iyer dragged himself off the field after failing to convert yet another good start strongly suggested that the writing was on the wall.
Shreyas Iyer's confidence is rattled
All four of Iyer's dismissals in the ongoing series were against off-spinners, with three coming when he looked settled. Known to be one of India's best spinners of spin, Iyer wasn't expected to surrender to the tweakers. This raises the question of whether it is a confidence issue.
The right-hander's limitations against the short ball are well-documented. These issues also came to the fore during the dying embers of the Cape Town Test. Before hitting the boundary that sealed a famous win for India, Iyer was troubled by a short-ball barrage from Marco Jansen.
Yet, there was a sense of comfort knowing that Shreyas Iyer will play his next series in Indian conditions, where he has scored a truckload of first-class runs and has shown great application against the spinners. With Virat Kohli absent, it was time for Iyer to step up.
Even when India were six down against England in Hyderabad in their chase of 231, hope hadn't vanished. One of the main reasons was Iyer himself, who had stitched a sensational partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin against Bangladesh on a rank turner to seal an incredible win.
However, a poke away from the body off Jack Leach's bowling saw Joe Root take a simple catch and ensure a rather anti-climatic end to Iyer's knock. The rattled confidence seemed to be evident, and it was only about to get worse.
England employed a short-ball ploy for Shreyas Iyer in the first innings in Visakhapatnam with James Anderson bowling the heavy ball. On Indian pitches and against Anderson's pace, Iyer seemed keen to play the pull shot along the ground and initially looked at ease.
However, as the spell progressed, Iyer became more and more unsettled. In an attempt to flat bat a short ball from Anderson, the batter almost chopped it back onto his stumps. He seemed itchy to get quick runs and that translated in his batting against spin as well.
Tom Hartley pulled out of his action twice looking at Iyer trying to shuffle towards leg side. Former England batter Kevin Pietersen singled out the lack of a stable base following his dismissal as Shreyas Iyer edged one to the keeper, trying to play his bread-and-butter cut shot.
Iyer confidently took on a journalist during the 2023 World Cup who questioned his weakness against the short-pitched ball. However, that confidence seemed to be missing against England.
Shreyas Iyer's average against spin in Tests was 71 in 2022 and has dropped to 18.85 since 2023. Has he lost the shots in his armory? certainly not. The drop-off seems to be more of a mental one than anything else.
Lots to ponder for Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer is standing at the crossroads of his Test career where he needs to make his priorities clear. A fantastic ODI player, the right-hander has the option of focussing only on the white-ball game going forward. But if he is really hungry to bounce back, he has to take a few tough calls.
There's a potential opportunity to go straight back into the Ranji Trophy and help Mumbai in the knockout stages of the tournament. Runs under his belt would certainly make a difference and help revive the dented confidence. But what about the technical flaws?
Iyer's flaws against the rising ball need to be dealt with if he is to be a dependable Test batter away from home as well. Perhaps a county cricket stint could help him get away from the spotlight and focus on getting into better positions to play the short ball. Examples like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara stand out when it comes to county cricket aiding in a Test recall.
In an ideal world where Iyer gets everything right in terms of technique and form, his fitness is arguably the biggest worry he needs to address. Having already missed several Test matches due to his troubled back, the 29-year-old once again reportedly complained to the team management about stiffness.
Iyer's fitness woes were not limited to red-ball cricket. He also picked up a back spasm during warm-ups ahead of the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Pakistan. He would want to avoid a situation where a potential Test comeback is delayed due to another injury issue.
The Shreyas Iyer that looked so assured even on a bunsen burner in Dhaka seemed lost somewhere against England. He should treat the Test snub just like another short ball to tackle and overcome. He has all the talent.