Shreyas Iyer's opportunity to stamp his authority in red-ball cricket is here

It was just days after he had suffered a debilitating shoulder injury earlier this year that I had a chat with Shreyas Iyer. He was in pain but the resolve had not gone away one bit. While he was still unsure if he needed surgery, his focus was very much on the T20 World Cup.

He wanted the big stage for himself and was determined to make a mark. That he had to undergo surgery and missed being part of the World Cup rather narrowly must have made him even more determined.

A reasonably good IPL had brought Iyer back into the mix and it was unfortunate that he was in the reserves for the T20 World Cup. Knowing Shreyas, he must have been itching. He was always getting ready for his opportunity to step out for India and seize the very first chance that came his way.

Shreyas, unlike some, has scored thousands of runs in first-class cricket at a very healthy average of 52.18. He also has a staggering strike rate of 81.54. In fact that’s what makes Shreyas so relevant to this Test team. On turning pitches and with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant resting, India need someone in the middle order who can counterattack and open up a game.

While Pujara is expected to hold one end up if needed, Wriddhiman Saha isn’t really capable of launching a strong counter. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, hasn’t been in the best form and all of this made Iyer’s inclusion a kind of inevitability. In fact, it was between Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav. Both are capable of playing their shots and in low scoring matches, the ability to open up a game is considered key to the teams’ chances.

Iyer will want to cement his spot as a reliable middle-order batter

Iyer had come close to making his Test debut 4 years earlier under Rahane. Thereafter he has established himself as a reliable white ball batter but a red ball opportunity eluded him. With a lot of top flight Test cricket in the pipeline, it is important for Iyer to establish himself as a reliable option, more because opportunities are expected to open up in the middle order in the not too distant future.

Mentally, it can be conjectured, Shreyas is ready. He has a certain steel about him and that should help him in Test cricket. With the wait finally over, it is now important to translate all these years of work into runs for India. That’s when the pain of surgery, of missing the World Cup and a lot more will have been really overcome. Wish Shreyas all the best on debut.