Leg and off: Is this the end of the road for Shreyas Iyer in Tests?
Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer is currently going through a lean patch in his career, which has resulted in him falling off the pecking order in the longest format of the game. Iyer was a regular feature in the Indian Test side before getting dropped midway through the series against England earlier in the year.
Iyer has scored just 104 runs in the four innings in the ongoing Duleep Trophy which has only worsened his case. Given the technical flaws in his game, it is highly unlikely that Iyer will be considered for selection in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy slated to be played in Australia from November 22. A BCCI official expressed his concern on Iyer’s poor shot selection in the Duleep Trophy.
“At the moment, there's no room for Shreyas to be in the Test team. Who will he replace? Besides, his shot selection has been a concern in Duleep, especially yesterday (Sunday)," the BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
"He (Iyer) was well set and then suddenly played such a shot (off left-arm spinner Shams Mulani). When you are set and then batting on a flat deck, you need to make the best use of that opportunity," he further added.
Meanwhile, another board official stated that Iyer will continue playing domestic cricket and might also be available for selection for the T20I series against Bangladesh.
The official lauded Iyer for an incredible performance in the ODI World Cup and hoped that the star middle-order batter can regain his lost touch. However, he clearly pointed out that prospects of getting an opportunity in the Border Gavaskar Trophy look highly unlikely.
“Now, if he doesn't fire in Irani too, he still has the Ranji Trophy to get runs. It wasn't too many days ago when he was batting so well in last year's ODI World Cup. He suffered an injury too, which needs to be considered.
"Also, with still one round left in Duleep Trophy, you never know he might score a hundred. He needs to regain form. Most likely he won't go to Australia for his problems against the short ball, but one can't just ignore his runs at home," the official said.
While Iyer is still relatively young and has many years ahead of him, he has to work on his game and minimise the chinks in his armor in order to be successful for a longer period of time. Even during the Duleep Trophy, he looked tentative and it was pretty evident from his shot selections.
Having said that, let us have a look at various factors to determine whether Iyer deserves another shot at Test cricket:
#1 Shreyas Iyer’s overall record and recent numbers
At the beginning of his journey as an international player, Iyer was touted as more of a white-ball batter. However, consistent performances in first-class cricket paved the way for his entry into Test cricket. He eventually made his Test debut against New Zealand in November 2021 and scored a brilliant century in his maiden Test innings. That remains his only Test century to date.
While he scored runs in subcontinent conditions, his technical deficiencies were evident in swinging and seaming conditions. The low-hand play which we generally associate with a subcontinent player brought about his downfall as his career progressed.
Back in December 2022, Iyer stitched a match-winning partnership with Ravichandran Ashwin in the second Test against Bangladesh. India seemed dead and buried when the duo came in together and saw their side through without any further hiccups. Iyer looks to dominate spin and feels at home tackling them.
Iyer’s numbers went from bad to worse as his career progressed. He endured a dismal run against Australia in the four-match Test series in 2023 and continued to struggle in South Africa.
Iyer failed to make an impact in the first two Tests against England which eventually led to his ouster from the team. In 14 Tests so far, Iyer has scored 811 runs at an average of 36.86.
Verdict: 50-50
#2 Iyer and his technical shortcomings
Despite his heroics in the 2023 ODI World Cup and success across formats, there are a few technical issues in Shreyas Iyer’s batting which need to be addressed before he hopes to make a return to the Indian Test squad. To add to his short ball woes, Iyer has started struggling against genuine pace and swing.
In the one-off Test against England in 2022, Brendon McCullum (the England head coach) was seen plotting his dismissal from the balcony. His indication was to keep targeting his mid-riff which eventually resulted in Iyer’s downfall. Time and again, Iyer has fallen to the short delivery in all three formats of the game.
While flat decks minimise the technical deficiencies, Iyer's nemesis against the short ball has been well documented now. He has to go back to the drawing board and do something about this chink in his armor.
Moreover, Iyer has struggled against the swinging delivery as well. He looked all at sea during the four innings in the Duleep Trophy so far. Given so many concerns about his technique, it is highly unlikely that Iyer could make a return to the Indian Test squad anytime soon.
Verdict: No chance of making a comeback anytime soon.
#3 Competitors
Now with the emergence of batters like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in the middle order, Iyer has certainly fallen well behind in the pecking order. Sarfaraz and Dhruv scored some useful runs in the Test series against England. More than the runs, it was how the two handled themselves in trying circumstances and still managed to come out with flying colors.
They looked solid in their defence and had the attacking game to back it. Besides Sarfaraz and Dhurv, there are several other youngsters who are waiting in the wings.
Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz’s brother, scored a brilliant century in the Duleep Trophy opener while Ishan Kishan slammed a century in his return. Given the competition Iyer has in the middle order, it's highly unlikely that he will return anytime soon to the Indian Test squad.
Verdict: No chance of a comeback anytime soon.
Conclusion
Various factors determine the selection of a particular player in the squad. The selection committee seems to have moved on from Shreyas Iyer in the Test format for now.
Given a plethora of his technical shortcomings, Iyer has to work immensely on these areas and try to come back stronger which looks unlikely at least till the Border Gavaskar Trophy.