"Probably the worst batter to have outside sub-continent" - Twitter reacts to Shreyas Iyer falling again to short-delivery in AUS vs IND 2025 1st ODI

Team India batter Shreyas Iyer had his worst nightmare come true again with a dismissal against a short-pitched delivery from his nemesis Josh Hazlewood in the opening ODI against Australia in Perth on October 19. The 30-year-old has historically struggled against the short ball in his career despite boasting an impressive ODI record.

Furthermore, Iyer has been dismissed by Hazlewood several times across formats and in the IPL. Unfortunately for the right-hander, both his bugaboos returned to haunt him in the ongoing Perth encounter.

Iyer was seemingly well-set on 11 when the tall Aussie pacer bowled a short delivery onto his body. The veteran batter was unable to get out of the way and got strangled down the leg-side to walk back to the pavilion for a scratchy 24-ball 11.

It was the third time that Hazlewood had dismissed Iyer in 57 deliveries in ODIs and the seventh time overall in 13 innings across all formats, including domestic cricket.

Fans on Twitter expressed their frustration with Shreyas Iyer's repeated struggles against the short delivery with the following reactions:

Indrajeet Singh

@Viplav90580679

Same old story pressure on, short ball comes, and Shreyas Iyer collapses again 😩 Still hasn’t learned how to deal with the short stuff. #AUSvsIND

Narsingh

@PaniNarsingh

Another day another dismissal against Short pitched delivery. Concern over his place will also start because the next ODI WC is in South Africa. #ShreyasIyer #INDvsAUS #Iyer

Akash yadav

@AkashYa80399319

Whenever the Indian team is in difficult times, Shreyas Iyer goes and comes back after choking. #INDvsAUS #ViratKohli #ShreyasIyer #GautamGambhir #SuryakumarYadav #RohitSharma #HardikPandaya

Fans continued slamming Shreyas Iyer for his all-too-familiar dismissal, with one saying:

"Iyer should not be allowed to play hazlewood. Getting out to him is one thing, constantly looking like a club level player against him is another thing. Bashing him in ipl wont do any favours to his batting long term."

"Iyer is probably worst batter to have outside sub-continent," posted a fan.

"There’s a massive difference between handling short balls on Indian or Dubai pitches and facing them in Australia or South Africa. Shreyas Iyer still struggles against the short or bodyline deliveries in those tougher overseas conditions," a fan said.

Team India in disarray after Shreyas Iyer's early dismissal

Team India is off to a dismal start to their white-ball tour of Australia in the ongoing opening ODI at Perth. After being asked to bat first by Aussie skipper Mitchell Marsh, the visitors' top-order had no answers to the Australian seamers.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored eight and zero on their international return, with Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc getting the better of the two. Skipper Shubman Gill failed to make an impression in his first ODI as captain, falling to Nathan Ellis in his first over for an 18-ball ten.

With Iyer becoming the latest to fall, the Men in Blue are reeling at 50/4 in 16 overs. The constant rain interruptions haven't helped the cause, with the game now being reduced to a 32-over affair.