India batter Shreyas Iyer, who was one of the top performers for India in the first day of the Bangladesh Test match, received high praise from former cricketer and pundit Aakash Chopra for his exceptional performance on Wednesday.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised the Kolkata Knight Riders skipper’s offensive approach. The former India and Rajasthan opener emphasised how Iyer’s style has drawn criticism from some fans and analysts.
“Many have criticised Shreyas Iyer, pointing out his playing style and short-ball woes. But the bottom line is that he scores runs. His luck prevailed on multiple occasions, with the dropped catch and the bail not falling. He played aggressively today and is a player who knows how to control the game.”
Chopra explained.
It was not the ideal start for the Indians, who lost a number of wickets early on, with openers KL Rahul and Shubman Gill getting dismissed prematurely. Modern-day great Virat Kohli was also undone by a Taijul Islam delivery that trapped him in front of the stumps. Following the setback, Rishabh Pant and Cheteshwar Pujara rebuilt the Indian innings with a solid partnership.
Once Pant was dismissed for an attacking 46, Iyer and Pujara were able to take India into a decent position by the end of the day. Notably, Iyer and Cheteshwar Pujara put together a brilliant 149-run partnership that propelled India back into the match after a rocky start.
Chopra also discussed Pant’s Test cricket accomplishments. He underlined how the southpaw’s counterattacking strategy has shown to be very effective in the longer format.
He continued by saying that Pant’s 46-run innings, which he scored quickly to put pressure on the Bangladeshi spinners, was crucial to India getting somewhat of an upper hand. Chopra added that while Pant’s natural game is more suited to the shortest format, his T20 game is ironically the weakest link to his game at the moment.
“When Pant dons the white jersey, it appears that he has been made for this format. Logically, his playing style is ideally suited to the T20 format. However, that is his weakest format at this point in time.
Whereas in Test cricket, he takes the bull by the horns, playing his shots against an attacking field setting. His knock was very important, as it shifted the momentum of the game. You need a Rishabh Pant to put the pressure back on the opposition.”
Mehidy Hasan Miraz castled Pant in the 32nd over of the Indian innings, as the southpaw’s entertaining innings came to a premature end, with Bangladesh creating an opening for their comeback. While the swashbuckler has faced criticism for the shots he chooses to play in the longer format, Chopra noted that such risks are inherent when attempting to score rapidly.
Iyer’s successful run in the number five position for Team India likely spells the end of veteran Ajinkya Rahane’s place in the side, something he hoped to regain with performances in the domestic circuit. While Pujara has been successfully able to course-correct with a stunning display in the County Championship, it remains to be seen if Rahane will be able to do so as well.
