Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha suggested that struggling Indian batters Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar should be dropped in case Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are made available for the 3rd Test against England, starting February 15 in Rajkot.
India registered an emphatic victory over England in their second Test at Visakhapatnam, leveling the five-match series 1-1 before they head to Rajkot. Prolific performances by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah played a pivotal role in securing their comeback in the series after losing the first Test in Hyderabad.
In the Vizag Test, both Jaiswal and Gill displayed batting brilliance, with Jaiswal securing a double hundred in the first innings and Gill scoring a century in the second. Amid heavy criticism for his recent batting struggles, 24-year-old Gill silenced many critics with his 104-run innings.
However, Shreyas Iyer has struggled to get going in the recent past. He has gone 13 innings without a fifty-plus score in Tests and he failed to convert his starts in both innings of the 2nd Test in Visakhapatnam. On the other hand, debutant Rajat Patidar was undone by spin in both innings as he failed to live up to expectations.
GO BACK TO DOMESTIC CRICKET: OJHA
During a discussion show on Colors Cineplex, Ojha stressed that Iyer’s poor form with the bat puts him behind Kohli and Rahul, who are likely to secure direct entry into the playing squad at Rajkot, if they are picked for the 3rd Test.
“Shreyas Iyer was left slightly behind. When you talk about great batters like Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul has also scored runs, when they return, they will automatically be part of the XI. So probably Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar will have to make way because the situation is like that,” Pragyan Ojha said.
Virat Kohli withdrew from the first two Tests against England, citing personal reasons, and KL Rahul was ruled out of the second Test due to an injury. While Shreyas Iyer was part of the initial squad for the first two Tests of the series, Patidar came in as a replacement for Kohli.
Pragyan Ojha believes that both Iyer and Patidar should understand the decision, if taken, for the betterment of the team. He urged the players to pick up their form by playing some domestic cricket.
“It’s not that you don’t want to give opportunities, but when great batters are coming and you don’t have that much room, you cannot give them the cushion. So go back and score runs in domestic cricket,” Ojha added.
Notably, India head coach Rahul Dravid was seen having a lengthy chat with Shreyas Iyer after India wrapped up the second Test on Monday. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar was in Vizag as he was spotted chatting to captain Rohit Sharma.
