Ian Chappell backed Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the England Tests, expressing approval for the selectors’ decision to bench him due to Iyer’s recent struggles.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has backed Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the Indian squad for the ongoing England series, citing the batter’s poor form as the reason. Iyer’s recent struggles with the bat, accumulating only 104 runs in two Tests at a modest average of 26, led to his omission due to concerns over form and injury.
Chappell also praised the return of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, emphasizing their potential to strengthen the team. He expressed contentment with the selectors’ decision, noting Iyer’s lack of significant contributions in recent Test innings.
“India is a strong side and they also have a good leader in Rohit Sharma. They will be greatly strengthened by Ravindra Jadeja’s and KL Rahul’s recovery from injury, but that Virat Kohli will not return for the rest of the series is a blow. Hopefully, the selectors will now stop overestimating Shreyas Iyer’s batting ability and learn to value Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket-taking capability more,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
The former skipper further highlighted the importance of Ben Stokes’ return to bowling and slip fielding for England. Stokes, recuperating from knee surgery, refrained from bowling in the previous two Tests against India. Chappell expressed optimism about Stokes’ active involvement in the early batting phases, believing it would greatly benefit the team.
“It will help England enormously if Stokes is once again able to function as an all-rounder, as his bowling is a distinct weapon. It would also help if he fielded in the slips, especially to the spinners, as he is one of the best in that position. One personal area Stokes could look at is his own batting. Stokes is a very good batter but he’s at his best when he’s looking to score,” Chappell added.
Last Updated on February 12, 2024
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