Earlier, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar also advocated for Iyer to bat at No.4, a slot that has been one of India’s biggest worries in recent times.
This file photo taken on March 5, 2016 shows Indian cricket coach Ravi Shastri speaking during a press conference prior to a training session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. (AFP PHOTO / Munir UZ ZAMAN)
Ravi Shastri, who has been reappointed as the head coach of India till World 2021 T20, has for the time put an end to the debate over the No.4 spot in the Indian batting line-up by saying that Shreyas Iyer is going to stay at No.4.
“One of the areas we concentrated on over the last two years was to blood as many youngsters as possible. Shreyas Iyer, for instance, he is going to stay at No. 4,” said Shastri Shastri while speaking to Times of India.
However, it is to note that Iyer batted at number five during the just-concluded ODI series against the West Indies and scored 71 and 65 in the two innings he played. More than the runs and hitting ability, it was the strike rotation and patience in the middle overs that made the 24-year-old undisputed batsman for the coveted No.4 spot.
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Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was India’s number four, failed to cash in the opportunity and disappointed with the figures of 20 and 0 in the two ODIs which India won riding on the back of consecutive centuries scored by skipper Virat Kohli.
Kohli, after the third ODI against the West Indies, heaped praise on Iyer saying that the Mumbaikar has presented a strong case for himself to be a regular feature of the team in the limited-overs format.
Earlier, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar also advocated for Iyer to bat at No.4, a slot that has been one of India’s biggest worries in recent times.
(With inputs from IANS)
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