"His real test will come when he goes to South Africa" - Sourav Ganguly on Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer enjoyed a dream Test debut in Kanpur last month in the first Test between India and New Zealand. Iyer scored a century in the first innings and followed it up with a fifty in the second.
Many praised the middle-order batter for his important knocks. However, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly feels Iyer's real test will come when he travels to South Africa.
Iyer scored 105 and 65 in the drawn first Test between India and New Zealand. His performance on debut saw him get picked for the tour of South Africa.
Speaking to Boria Majumdar on 'Backstage with Boria', Sourav Ganguly said:
"I think he averages 50 in First Class cricket for a long period of time. I saw his First Class average, he was averaging 52 for a period of 10 years, and you can’t be ordinary to do that. At some stage you need an opportunity to show your talent at the international level."
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Ganguly went on to add:
"I am extremely happy that he did well in his first Test, but his real test will come when he goes to South Africa. When he goes to South Africa and England, with the pace and bounce, hopefully he will stand up and deliver."
"Remarkable achievement" - Sourav Ganguly on Shreyas Iyer's century on debut
Sourav Ganguly hailed Shreyas Iyer for scoring a century on debut, and added that it was a remarkable feat no matter where he accomplished it. Ganguly, who scored a century on his Test debut himself, related Iyer's ton to his own personal experience.
"He started well for his career, getting a hundred on debut. It’s a remarkable achievement, wherever he plays. I hope he just kicks on because he will be a better player after this knock. And I say that from my personal experience," Ganguly said.
The former Indian skipper made his Test debut at Lord's in 1996, scoring 131 in a drawn match against England. Ganguly went on to say:
"If I was 50 before the Test match at Lord’s, I was 90 after it, because it’s just the confidence which went to a different level. And I think it must be the same with Shreyas. He’ll start believing that ‘I can score runs at the Test level’ and that’s very important."
The BCCI chief added:
"Because everybody comes with talent. Everybody comes with ability at this stage, and when you turn that into performance, it just makes you a better player, because you’re mentally in a better space."
Shreyas Iyer was given his debut cap with Virat Kohli missing the first Test and KL Rahul picking up an injury just before the series. His performance ensured that he was selected for the second match too, with Ajinkya Rahane making way for Kohli.
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In South Africa, Shreyas Iyer will face competition from Rahane and Hanuma Vihari for a spot in the middle order.