Image Credit- PTI
When the star batter was questioned about his short
ball skills at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup, Shreyas Iyer
responded during a press conference. Iyer’s World Cup campaign was successful,
as the Mumbaikar responded to his detractors by smashing three half-centuries.
Iyer scored 530 runs in 11 World Cup matches at an average of 66.25. Iyer has
failed to live up to expectations in the longest format of the game, even
though it seemed that he had burst the bubble in short-ball when he ended India’s
No. 4 debate at the ICC event.
Regarding Iyer’s most recent performances in South
Africa, the top batsman endured a forgettable series in the ICC World Test
Championship against the Proteas. In the first game of the series against South
Africa, Iyer scored 31 runs off 50 balls before the star hitter was out for 6.
Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, lost the opening game by an innings and 32
runs. Not a single hitter, save for century maker KL Rahul, reached the 50-run
milestone.
With an average of 13.67 in the two-Test series
against South Africa, Iyer managed just 41 runs. Before Team India’s next
high-profile series in the World Test Championship, batting veteran Sunil
Gavaskar has provided some support to Iyer, despite Iyer’s struggles to get
into the two-match series. Batting icon Gavaskar said on Star Sports that
Iyer’s performance in the longest format was only one of several players who
had a poor series against the Proteas.
“Shreyas Iyer is not the only player who failed
because it’s not easy for any batter on these pitches. If you see, barring
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, no one else scored too many runs,” Gavaskar
said. “You cannot point fingers at just one player. So I feel the
selection committee will also think that he should probably be given more
chances,” he added.
The 29-year-old made the game-winning run for India in
the low-scoring Test match in Cape Town, but was removed for a two-ball duck.
Iyer has scored 15 and 19 in Birmingham, 31 and 6 in Centurion, and 0 and 4 not
out in Cape Town in his six knocks against the SENA nations. In the longest
format, Iyer is likewise averaging less than forty.