"The biggest test for Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be when India plays in overseas conditions" - Saba Karim

Saba Karim reckons the real test for Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari as Test cricketers will be in overseas conditions.

Iyer stood out with the bat in the second Test against Sri Lanka, scoring 92 and 67 runs in his two innings on a spin-friendly surface. Vihari scored a fifty in Mohali and got off to starts in both innings in Bengaluru, but could not play a substantial knock.

During a discussion on India News, Saba Karim was asked if Team India have got the players to fill the big shoes of veterans like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. He replied:

"Their absence is being made up to a certain extent, especially if we see in the middle order, but the biggest test for Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be when India plays in overseas conditions."

The former India wicketkeeper-batter had the following to say about Iyer and Vihari's performances during the Test series against Sri Lanka:

"Shreyas Iyer has performed exceedingly well. We can have the belief that the confidence Shreyas has got at home will help him perform overseas as well going forward. Hanuma Vihari was tried at No. 3. He has also batted well to a certain extent."

The remaining game of the five-match series against England could be the duo's biggest test. While Iyer will be skippering the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2022, Vihari might be looking to get a county contract to acclimatize himself to the English conditions.

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"The attempt was that the transition should be smooth" - Saba Karim on Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari replacing Rahane and Pujara

Rishabh Pant batted ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the Test series against Sri Lanka [P/C: BCCI]

Saba Karim pointed out that the transition in home Tests has been smooth. He observed:

"Till now the attempt was that the transition should be smooth. So at least in the home series, it has been a flawless transition - Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant."

The former India selector was particularly thrilled about Rishabh Pant delivering as per the team management's expectations. Karim explained:

"Rishabh Pant has been given a very big role. He is coming to bat at No. 5. There is a constant improvement being seen in his wicket-keeping. The confidence is getting reflected in both his keeping and batting and the biggest thing is that the team management has shown a lot of confidence in him and he has lived up to it till now."

Pant smoked 185 runs at a strike rate of 120.12 in his three knocks in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. He brought his destructive game to the fore and never allowed the Sri Lankan bowlers to get into any rhythm.