Shreyas Iyer says playing Test cricket is a dream, hopes it will come true soon

The No 4 batting slot in limited-overs gave numerous headaches to the Indian team, so much so that coach Ravi Shastri revealed after the 2019 ODI World Cup that he even once thought of making the so called best ODI batsman — Virat Kohli — bat at that position during the showpiece event. India’s failure to find a perfect No 4 batsman played a crucial role in the team’s elimination from the World Cup. But they now seem to be close to solving the jigsaw puzzle. Young Shreyas Iyer has slotted into the position like a fish takes to water. In the recent tour of New Zealand, where India were handed embarrassing series routs in ODIs and Tests, Iyer emerged as the positive light with his reassuring performance at the No 4 slot in the limited-over leg of the tour. [caption id=“attachment_7952431” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Shreyas Iyer. AP[/caption] The Mumbai lad smashed 153 runs in five T20Is at an average of 51 and a healthy strike rate of 131.90. He also registered fifty-plus scores in all three ODIs including 103 in the first match, his maiden ton in the 50-over format. Iyer seems to have unlocked the Gordian Knot for the Indian team and in an interview with the Times of India, the 25-year-old revealed that he has started to feel at home at No 4 slot. However, he added that he is ready to be flexible if the need requires. “Yes, I do feel comfortable now batting at No 4. I’ve done that for a while now and it’s beginning to feel like it’s the space where I belong - so why not? But let me reiterate this: If you’re going to play at the highest level, it’s about what the team wants and the concerns that need to be addressed at that given moment in time,” said Iyer. After making a name for himself in limited-overs cricket, Iyer has his eyes fixed on the ‘pinnacle’ of the sport — Test cricket. “I’ve grown up playing red-ball cricket. Once that is imbibed in you as a cricketer, it is never going to go away. No cricketer, who has spent a good amount of time playing red-ball cricket will ever quit aspiring to play Test cricket. It’s a different feeling. It may sound like a cliche, but playing Test cricket is a dream and I hope it comes true soon,” Iyer added.