IND vs NZ LIVE: No place for Shreyas Iyer? There was an uproar after Karun Nair was dropped for the Bangladesh series immediately after he scored a career-best 303 not out against England. Shreyas Iyer could be on the same boat after slamming a century and a half-century on Test debut. With Virat Kohli coming in, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said that dropping Iyer could be on the cards too. Follow India vs New Zealand LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN.
Virat Kohli will return to lead India in the second Test against top-ranked New Zealand on Friday, posing a welcome selection dilemma for the hosts. The Mumbai clash will mark Kohli’s return after he stepped down as T20I captain at the end of the World Cup last month and took a short break.
IND vs NZ LIVE: Will Virat Kohli do a Karun Nair to Shreyas Iyer? Paras Mhambrey hints at leaving out Iyer
However, Shreyas Iyer’s 105 and 65 in his debut Test, which ended in a draw in Kanpur against the Black Caps, has made it tough for Indian selectors to decide on their final XI.
“I think it’s a good problem to have. We have so much talent — speaks a lot about the state Indian cricket is in, and with youngsters coming up, we want to give them the opportunity,” Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said Wednesday.
IND vs NZ LIVE: Will Virat Kohli do a Karun Nair to Shreyas Iyer? Paras Mhambrey hints at leaving out Iyer
“Someone like Shreyas comes in, gets a hundred and follows it up with a fifty, and that’s fabulous. But sometimes you also have to go in with combinations that suit that particular wicket.”
💬 💬 “We can take a lot of positives from the first Test.”#TeamIndia Bowling Coach Paras Mhambrey reflects on the side’s performance in the first @Paytm #INDvNZ Test in Kanpur. pic.twitter.com/fcE1CnsAJr
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 1, 2021
If Iyer is dropped from the 2nd Test in Mumbai it will not be an exception. Karun Nair was dropped from the playing XI after scoring a triple century. He had made way for Ajinkya Rahane against Bangladesh following his 303 in Chennai. He came back only after India played an extra batter following the defeat to Australia on a Pune turner.
Ajinkya Rahane, who led India in the first Test of the two-match series, has struggled to score runs and averaged under 20 across 12 matches this year.
Top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has made promising starts but failed to convert them into bigger scores.
IND vs NZ LIVE: Will Virat Kohli do a Karun Nair to Shreyas Iyer? Paras Mhambrey hints at leaving out Iyer
“We know that they (Rahane and Pujara) have a lot of experience behind them, they have played enough cricket,” said Mhambrey.
“We also know as a team that they are one inning away from coming good, so as a team, we are backing them.
“We know the value they bring to the team.”
New Zealand, the world Test champions after beating India in the title clash in June, denied the hosts a win in an enthralling five days of play in the opening match.
The final pairing of Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel survived in dimming light as gutsy New Zealand held on for a memorable draw.
In Mumbai, Patel returns to his city of birth and where he played lot of cricket before his parents moved to New Zealand.
IND vs NZ LIVE: Will Virat Kohli do a Karun Nair to Shreyas Iyer? Paras Mhambrey hints at leaving out Iyer
The 33-year-old spinner said he looked forward to playing at Wankhede Stadium, with many of his relatives watching from the stands.
“Definitely it is emotional,” he said.
“I have come to Wankhede and watched a lot of IPL games… and I bowled to Mumbai a few times in their training sessions. It is pretty cool and quite nostalgic.”
Patel, who has played 10 Tests for New Zealand since his 2018 debut, said it was the first time his relatives in Mumbai would be able to watch him play in person.
“Even back home my parents still haven’t watched me play Test cricket,” said the spinner, who claimed three wickets in the first match.
“Hopefully sometime soon they will be able to come and watch me as well.”
IND vs NZ LIVE: Will Virat Kohli do a Karun Nair to Shreyas Iyer? Paras Mhambrey hints at leaving out Iyer
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