New Delhi:Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar offered his candid assessment of Shreyas Iyer’s performance after the conclusion of the South Africa series. Iyer, known for his impressive displays in the shorter formats, faced challenges in the longest format during the ICC World Test Championship.
Despite a successful campaign at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup, where Iyer silenced critics with three half-centuries and an average of 66.25, his struggles in the Test series against South Africa raised questions about his adaptation to the format.
In the two-Test series against South Africa, Iyer managed only 41 runs with an average of 13.67. Gavaskar acknowledged the difficulty of batting on South African pitches, emphasizing that, except for Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, no other player scored significantly.
“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 commented, defending Iyer’s struggles.
Gavaskar expressed his belief that the selection committee would likely consider giving Iyer more chances, recognizing the collective challenge faced by batsmen in the challenging conditions. Iyer, who played a crucial role in India’s series-levelling win in the second Test at Cape Town, scored 15 & 19 in Birmingham, 31 and 6 in Centurion, and 0 and 4 not out in Cape Town.
As India prepares for its next high-profile series in the World Test Championship, Gavaskar’s insights highlight the nuanced evaluations faced by the selection committee.
