Shreyas Iyer made a stellar red-ball debut in the first Test match of the New Zealand series last month. After scoring a brilliant ton in his debut innings, Iyer returned to deliver a crucial 65 run knock in the second innings. Now, as the Indian team gears for the South Africa Test series, Iyer will be hoping to continue his momentum and make an impact in the South African conditions.
Sharing his opinion on Iyer’s prospects in the upcoming series, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said that the South African conditions will be a real Test for the middle-order batsman.
Ganguly added that while he was extremely happy to see Iyer do well in his debut Test, the batter’s real test will be in conditions like South Africa and England where there’s pace and bounce. Speaking to Boria Majumdar on ‘Backstage with Boria,’ the Ganguly backed Iyer to “stand and deliver.”
Ganguly said Iyer’s consistency in the domestic circuit was proof that he was not just an ordinary player. “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,” he said.
In the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma for the Tests, Iyer will have a crucial role to play in the South Africa series that kicks off on December 26. India is yet to register their first Test series win in South Africa. This is a good chance for Virat Kohli and co. to make some history and continue their good performance in overseas conditions.
In 2021, India registered an impressive Test series victory against Australia at their home despite the absence of senior players like Kohli and Rohit. The team then went to England where they took a decisive lead against the hosts before the last match of the five-Test series was postponed due to COVID-19 threat.
keywords: Shreyas Iyer, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here
.