Despite Shreyas Iyer’s assurances about his ability to handle short-pitched deliveries, opposition fast bowlers persist in testing him with this strategy. Interestingly, spinners have also adopted this tactic.
During the second Test in Vishakapatnam on Friday, February 2, England’s off-spinning all-rounder Joe Root surprised Shreyas Iyer with an unexpected short-pitched delivery in the 38th over. Mark Wood, considered Iyer’s primary threat, was not part of the playing XI, but James Anderson still challenged him with short deliveries early in his innings.
Despite this, Iyer handled the test well, forcing Anderson to revert to his conventional outside-the-off-stump line. Although England applied pressure at the start of the second session, the partnership between Jaiswal and Iyer remained solid and composed.
In a creative move, Joe Root bowled a sharp bouncer halfway down the pitch in the second delivery of the 38th over. To his credit, Iyer skillfully pulled the ball to square leg for a boundary, showing resilience against the unconventional delivery.
NoooðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— Shivani (@meme_ki_diwani) February 2, 2024
The disrespect pic.twitter.com/Lbcfd7HrvT
In contrast to his impressive performance in the series opener in Hyderabad, where he took five wickets, Joe Root has not been as effective in this match. The right-arm off-spinner remains wicketless after bowling 12 overs and has conceded 53 runs, making him the most expensive bowler in the current contest.