Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Shreyas Iyer has cemented his place for the next test match against New Zealand. Iyer impressed everyone with his brilliant performance in the debut Test at Kanpur.
The right-handed batter scored a century in the first innings. He slammed 105 runs off 171 balls, including thirteen boundaries and two sixes. Iyer followed it up with a crucial 65 in the second innings. He became the first Indian to score a century and a half-century on Test debut.
Reflecting on Shreyas Iyer’s performance in both the innings on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra said:
“The only Indian (Shreyas Iyer) 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 to bat. Nobody had seen what he was bringing to the table in the longer format. But, 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 anyway. Test match, like life, gives you the second opportunity but not when you are batting for the second time,” he added.
Indians to score a century and a fifty on Test debut:
Shreyas Iyer
End of list 🤷♀️#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/bR9VKgiV8S
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 28, 2021
Somebody will go out, but not Shreyas Iyer: Aakash Chopra
With Virat Kohli set to return to the squad for the second test match, India has to take tougher decisions to make way for the skipper. Aakash Chopra expressed that somebody will have to sit out, but it won’t be Shreyas Iyer, given his debut brilliance. He said,
“If Shreyas Iyer had been dismissed in that point of time in the second innings, this was game, set, and match in favor of New Zealand,
“So, him being there and dominating with regards to how he played against the spinners, now it’s almost impossible to ignore him or 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,” Aakash concluded.
The second Test match between India and New Zealand will take place from December 3 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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