3 reasons why India leaving Shreyas Iyer out for last 3 England Tests is the right move

Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has not been picked in the Indian squad for the remaining three Test matches of the home series against England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Saturday, February 10, named the much-awaited squad for the last three Test matches.

Senior batter KL Rahul and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have made a comeback to the team after missing the second Test in Visakhapatnam. While Rahul did not feature in the previous game after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, Jadeja picked up a hamstring injury during the first Test in Hyderabad. The participation of both players, however, is subject to clearance from the medical team.

The suspense over star batter Virat Kohli is also over. After missing the first two Tests of the series against England, the 35-year-old will not be part of the remaining matches as well owing to personal reasons.

In the wake of the Indian team’s announcement for the last three Tests versus England, we analyze three reasons why the selectors have taken the right call by keeping him out.

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#1 Shreyas hasn’t done enough to retain his place in the Test team

The middle-order batter in action during the opening Test. (Pic: Getty Images)

Shreyas made a brilliant start to his Test career, scoring a century and a half-century against New Zealand in Kanpur in November 2021 - becoming the first Indian player to achieve the feat. The 29-year-old has played a few good knocks since but has been out of sorts in the format for a while now.

Since the start of 2023, he has played seven Test matches in which he has scored 187 runs at a paltry average of 17. Shreyas has failed to register a single half-century in these games. He scored 4, 12, 0, and 26 against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February-March 2023.

During the two-match tour of South Africa, he registered scores of 31, 6, 0 and 4*. Shreyas also featured in the first two Tests of the ongoing series against England. He only managed 35 and 13 in the first Test in Hyderabad and 27 and 29 in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

It’s not just about the lack of scores, but also the fact that Shreyas has displayed certain technical deficiencies in his game. His woes against the short ball continue and his stroke selection in some of the matches has also been questionable.

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#2 Shreyas’ fitness is also a cause for concern

Apart from form, Shreyas’ fragile fitness is also a big concern. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the right-handed batter complained of back stiffness during the second Test in Visakhapatnam and has been ruled out considering he has already had issues with his back in the last 12 months.

Shreyas was ruled out of the first Test against Australia in February last year due to a back injury. He featured in the next two matches but did not bat in the last Test in Ahmedabad due to a recurrence of the injury. He was earlier ruled out of the recent ODI series against New Zealand as well.

A recent report in The Indian Express quoted a source as saying that:

“Iyer has informed the Indian team management and the medical staff that his back gets stiff after playing more than 30 balls and he feels pain in his groin while playing forward defence.”

It may be noted that Shreyas underwent surgery for his back injury last year.

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#3 His absence could mean an opportunity for Patidar and Sarfaraz to prove their worth

Rajat Patidar looked decent on debut in Visakhapatnam. (Pic: Getty Images)

With Shreyas out of the remaining three Tests against England, Rajat Patidar could get a longer run in the Indian team. Had the former been part of the squad for the last three Tests, Patidar might have had to make way for Rahul, who has been picked in the team subject to clearance from the medical team.

Since Shreyas has been left out, there is a strong chance of Patidar retaining his place in the playing XI for the third Test, which begins at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on February 15. Patidar made his Test debut in Visakhapatnam and looked pretty solid in his first-innings 32.

Shreyas’ absence could also see Sarfaraz Khan getting a Test debut in the event of Rahul failing to recover in time. Sarfaraz has been retained ahead of his Mumbai teammate. So, if the much-awaited opportunity arises, he should be ready to prove his worth.