The Short Ball Welcome and a Lazy Dismissal: Shreyas Iyer Fails to Step up in Ranji Semi-final Against Tamil Nadu

A disappointing show from Shreyas Iyer. (BCCI Photo)

Shardul Thakur brought Mumbai back from a vulnerable position with his maiden First-class century on Day 2 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu in BKC, Mumbai. Thakur may be the big highlight of the day but the center of attraction of the day was Shreyas Iyer.

All eyes were set on Iyer.

Why?

Shreyas Iyer, a few days back, was dropped from BCCI’s central contract for the 2023-24 season days after skipping Ranji Trophy quarters reportedly citing back spasms as the reason.

As per another report, the National Cricket Academy came claimed the player to have been fully fit.

This was followed by Iyer finding himself without a central contract.

Interestingly, hours before the BCCI announced players contracts, Iyer was named in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad for the semi-finals.

With the experience and amount of runs behind him, he had to make it to the XI.

So, with all the focus on him and his back, Iyer came out to play the semifinal with a point to prove.

Unfortunately, his comeback to domestic cricket didn’t turn out the way he would have wanted it to be. The middle-order batter added only 3 runs to the team’s total before being castled by Sandeep Warrier.

A regulation in-swinging delivery that nipped back in a little and with no feet movement, Iyer dragged the ball onto the stumps. A lazy shot that lead to a very poor dismissal by his standards.

Iyer’s short stay on the crease also had it’s moments.

Iyer, in his usual stride, walked on to the field after skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal. The right-hander stood at the non-strikers for the remainder of the over before gearing up for his first delivery in the following over.

As Iyer took his guard, everybody present in the ground knew what was coming.

More than anyone else, Iyer knew what to expect.

Seamer Kuldeep Sen took a look at Iyer, started his run up, picked up his pace, ran in and pitched the ball at the center of the pitch and it went searing past Iyer’s shoulders. Gently, he allowed it to pass without even attempting to bring his bat anywhere closer to it.

A bouncer to welcome Iyer back to domestic cricket. His reputation precedes him everywhere he goes. A first-ball bouncer to Iyer is no more a tactic or a plan, it feels more like a law now.

‘It’s all over-used’

Tamil Nadu skipper Sai Kishore said that they had no pre-planned short ball tactics against Iyer.

“No nothing like that,” Kishore told the media after the day’s play.

“It’s all over used I feel honestly. I am just asking ourselves to execute well and follow whatever the instincts is and whatever the plan is at that time. I just want all the players to be very instinctive on the field. So nothing very particular,” the Tamil Nadu skipper added.

The Net Session

With his thirst for runs unquenched, Iyer returned to the nets at the cusp of the tea break. Two throwdown specialists, spinner Musheer Khan and pacer Dhawal Kulkarni were bowling to him in the nets. Some good cover drives, few cuts, proper defensive shots and two reverse sweeps attempts to Musheer towards the end were the highlights of this net session.

Once he was through this impromptu practice session, Iyer was on his way back to the dressing room but not before obliging for some pictures.

Earlier on Day 1, Iyer was was quite energetic and showed no signs of any back issues. From the second slip to point, from covers to gully – he was everywhere.

Except for the 13th over of the Tamil Nadu innings, when Iyer hared back into the dressing room, he was on the field for the entire innings.

Iyer was seen shadow batting during the drinks break, as if he was eager to come out with the bat and break Tamil Nadu’s back, no pun-intended, and show his critics that he is still the player that India needs. Unfortunately for him, it was not to be.

Iyer will now be looking to get some runs under his belt in the second innings that is if Mumbai comes out to bat again. Else the final will be his last chance to get back in form in red-ball cricket for quite some time as after this Ranji Trophy, he’ll get occupied with white-ball cricket.