Shreyas Iyer was excited before the big day as he remembered his trip on social media from the time he suffered a serious shoulder injury earlier this year. At the end of the short clip, Shreyas Iyer happily presented his India Whites in his hotel room.
A test debut is one of the most memorable moments for any cricketer, and for 26-year-old Shreyas Iyer, who has seen multiple ups and downs, the big day was even sweeter. Iyer had tons of runs back in the 2015 season when he was a 21-year-old youngster in Mumbai’s cricket circles and got a mammoth count of 1,321 runs in the Ranji Trophy. Iyer has never stopped doing what he does best: shooting runs. His top-notch average before his testing debut was a healthy 52.
India vs. New Zealand, 1st test day 1: highlights
Many felt Iyer’s test debut should have come earlier, but it’s better late than never. In a year that saw Iyer battling some tough moments on the field, Iyer was at his best early in the year but missed nearly 6 months of competition after sustaining a shoulder injury during a home series against England. He had led Delhi Capitals to their first-ever Indian Premier League final but had to sit out during the 2021 IPL, which was suspended in May due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When he returned from his injury setback, Iyer was no longer captain of his franchise.
The injury also meant Iyer was losing valuable time leading up to the T20 World Cup. At the World Cup, he was not part of the 15-man squad.
However, the 26-year-old was rewarded for his accomplishments when he was selected in India’s T20I as well as in the testing squad for the home series against New Zealand. Not many would have had Iyer in their starting XI for the Kanpur Test, but an injury to KL Rahul days before the series started meant Iyer was placed in the middle order.
SHREYAS IYER MAKES A MARK IN THE GREEN PARK AGAIN!
The big day was there and Iyer got his first test cap of the man whom most of India, let alone Mumbai cricketers, idolize – Sunil Gavaskar. What started as a fine day for Iyer turned out to be the most memorable day in his burgeoning international career when Iyer rescued India from a precarious position on the first day of the Kanpur Test against New Zealand.
By the way, Iyer had performed in the same place as a hit star in Mumbai 7 years ago. In a make-or-break situation for the then 19-year-old, Iyer, who was cheered on by then Mumbai coach Pravin Amre, saved his state team from a difficult situation on a green track in a Ranji Trophy game against Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai stumbled at 56/5, trailing UP’s first innings of 206 times 150 runs. Iyer came in and fired a Rapid Fire 75 to help Mumbai take the lead.
The fighting spirit was evident Thursday as well, as Iyer was in his element once he settled on a slow pitch in his innings in Kanpur. Iyer came in after India lost two batsmen – Shubman Gill, 52, Cheteshwar Pujara, 26 – right after lunch.
Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee had their tails up, but Iyer weathered the storm while slapping his captain Ajinkya Rahane. However, skipper Rahane left for 35, which got the team in trouble.
But Iyer persevered and forged a partnership with No. 6 Ravindra Jadeja. The Mumbai batter began to stamp his authority over New Zealand bowlers. And as the day went on, Iyer’s confidence grew. He pushed his limits against the weirdos and played the pacemaker with respect.
FIFTY!@ ShreyasIyer15 puts forward his first Test 50 in his debut game
Live – https://t.co/WRsJCUhS2d #INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/oH3WHHtAo1
– BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2021
SHREYAS IYER TAKES ANOTHER 25 RUNS TO JOIN THE ELITE LIST
Iyer showed he has one of the brightest minds when he faced the spinners towards the end of the game after umpires thought the lights weren’t good enough for New Zealand to work with spin. Iyer and Jadeja set up over a hundred booth to put India in a position of strength.
Iyer was the 30th Indian batter to reach fifty on the Test debut. Iyer was unbeaten at 75 after hitting 2 sixes and 7 limits. On Friday, Iyer is hoping to complete the magical 3-digit score and join an elite list of thugs, some of whom would later become big names in Indian cricket.
Seven years after telling the world he was good enough to be a batter in Mumbai, Iyer proved he was ready for big business. He won’t forget Green Park for the rest of his career.
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