‘He will walk straight into the XI if he is fit’ – Rahul Dravid hints Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion ahead of second Test

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid has hinted that Shreyas Iyer will be an automatic pick if he gets fit ahead of the second Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series. The middle-order batter, who missed the white-ball series against New Zealand and the first Test match against Australia due to a back injury, is back up running and practicing again.

“It’s always great to have somebody back from injury. We never like to lose people because of injury. It’s not for us as a team, not nice for the individual. I’m glad that he is back and fit. We’ll take a call after a couple of days of training,” Dravid told during a press conference ahead of the Delhi Test.

“He’s had a long session today; he has done some training. We will assess it tomorrow as well once he comes for a light hit and see how it goes. If he is fit and ready to go and take the load of five days of a Test match, then without a doubt with his past performances, he will walk straight into the XI,” Dravid added.

Read More: Harbhajan Singh suggests Team India’s best opening combination for Border–Gavaskar Trophy 2022-23

Rahul Dravid impressed with Shreyas Iyer’s temperament

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid also praised Shreyas Iyer for his skills against spinners and for showing great temperament in tight situations. Notably, Iyer made his Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in 2021. Since then, he has featured in seven Tests, scoring 624 runs at an average of 56.72, including five fifties and a hundred.

“Yes, Shreyas has played well against spin but what really stood out is his temperament. We’ve been in quite a few pressure situations with Shreyas around, right from his debut game in Kanpur. In the last year and a half, he, (Ravindra) Jadeja and Rishabh (Pant) have been the ones bailing us out from those tough situations by playing those critical knocks,” Dravid concluded.

In Iyer’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav received his first ever Test cap for India in the first Test match. However, he couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity as he was dismissed for just eight. The second match between the two cricketing giants will kick-off on Friday (February 17) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Read More: 2024 will most likely be my final year in international cricket, says David Warner