Why Shreyas Iyer is the ideal solution to India's No.4 woes

He has played just 9 matches for India but has shown a maturity that is far beyond his international exposure. Shreyas Iyer is only 25 years old, but has been the catalyst for India in the ODI series against the West Indies, allowing the other batsmen to rally around him. He can mix both caution and aggression, and his hand eye co-ordination is exemplary.

The talented right-hander has played four innings in 2019 so far, and his lowest return from the four outings has been 65. And in the current ODI series, Iyer once again proved that he can be the answer to the longstanding problem of the Indian team of finding a suitable batsman for the No.4 position.

In the first ODI against West Indies at Chennai, Iyer came in with India wobbling at 25/2. He steadied the innings by scoring a mature 70 off 88 balls. The need of the hour was for someone to put their head down and bat long, and Iyer did exactly that. His partnerships with Rohit Sharma, and later a 114 run stand with the mercurial Rishabh Pant was pivotal in India reaching 287/5 in their allotted fifty overs.

Keeping up the good work

Iyer played second fiddle to Rohit at first.

In the second ODI at Vishakhapatnam, the situation was totally different when Iyer entered. The openers had put on a gargantuan stand of 227 runs for the first wicket, and Iyer walked in at the fall of skipper Virat Kohli’s wicket. In the initial part of the innings, he was content with giving the strike to a rampaging Rohit Sharma, who was just hammering the West Indian bowling to all parts of the ground. In his first 21 balls, Iyer scored 20 runs. But then, after the departure of Rohit, Iyer opened up.

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He launched into Roston Chase in the 47th over. The last five balls of the 47th over read 6,6,4,6,6. Iyer had shifted gears seamlessly, and had swung the momentum in India’s favour. He reached his half century off just 28 balls and provided the impetus needed at the end of the innings.

India have had the problem of finding a suitable batsman for the No.4 position. It is a problem that the team has been facing for a long time, and Iyer can be the ideal solution to these woes. His technique is solid, he can seamlessly switch between caution and aggression and has a calm temperament. He also has age on his side, and has grabbed the limited opportunities he has been provided so far with both hands.

Shreyas Iyer can be a long term investment for the Indian team, and if he can continue in the same vein, the right-hander can turn out to be a permanent No.4 batsman for India in the years to come.

Has Kohli found his number four?