Team India finished the Test series against South Africa dramatically. They have drawn the series with South Africa. But throughout the series, the Indian batters struggled on the South African soil. Players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and others struggled a lot. In the middle order, Shreyas Iyer failed to make an impact on the team. He was criticized for his form in this series. After that, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar backs him.
Shreyas Iyer in South Africa:
After a long break, Team India got back to the Test format. They faced South Africa in a two-match Test series in South Africa. The matches were scheduled at Centurion and Cape Town. In the first Test at Centurion, India faced a heartbreaking defeat of an innings and 32 runs. In that match, except for Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, every other player struggled.
In the second Test match, India played well and won the match. But Shreyas Iyer’s struggle on the South African soil continued. In two matches, he scored 41 runs. In the first innings of the first match, he scored 31 runs. That was his highest score in the series. In the second Test, he scored 0 and 4 in two innings.
Gavaskar on Iyer:
After the Test series ended, Iyer received a lot of criticism. He struggled to face short balls. In the bouncy pitch of South Africa, Iyer failed to find his rhythm. His concern for extra bounce was highlighted once more. He struggled in front of the South African pacers. Amid criticism, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar backed him. He highlighted that no other batter apart from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul scored good runs.
He said, “ 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. You cannot point fingers at just one player. So I feel the selection committee will also think that he should probably be given more chances.”
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul played well in South African conditions. Kohli ended the series being the highest run-scorer with 173 runs. Throughout the series, he was consistent. A long Test series is on the way. From January 25, Team India is scheduled to play a five-match Test series against England. The team is gearing up for the new challenges.
Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
