Former England skipper Ian Chappell has urged the selectors to look beyond India batter Shreyas Iyer. Although Iyer has not been named in the squad for the remaining IND vs ENG Tests, Chapell hopes that the selectors reassess him before his next call-up.
“Hopefully the selectors will now stop overestimating Shreyas Iyer’s batting ability and learn to value Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket-taking capability more.” wrote Chappell in his column for ESPN Cricinfo,
Iyer has been grappling with form issues in Test cricket for an extended period. His last half-century dates back to December 2022 against Bangladesh. Over his last 13 Test innings, he hasn’t managed to reach the fifty-run mark once.
Since his return to Test cricket following back surgery, Iyer’s scores have been modest, with figures like 31, 6, 0, 4*, 35, 13, 27, and 29. In the ongoing England Test series, he has amassed 104 runs across four innings, averaging 26.
However, Chapell believes that India under skipper Rohit Sharma can still eventually triumph in what promises to be a challenging series despite missing the likes of Virat Kohli. However, he adds that the return of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja will add a major boost to India’s chances.
“As the home side India should eventually win a tough series, but it has a real battle on their hands. This India versus England contest is shaping up as it should: a tough five-match encounter between two talented sides,” he concluded.
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