Watch: Shreyas Iyer falls to short ball; his KKR coach Brendon McCullum's signal from dressing room goes viral

The Indian middle-order batter has had a longstanding weakness against the short-ball in international cricket. 
 By Kashish Chadha Jul 4, 2022, 17:22 IST
Shreyas Iyer Brendon McCullum?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Wherever the Indian middle-order batter goes, the bouncer ploy follows him across formats. 

Early into his Test career, Shreyas Iyer seems to have had his short-ball weakness exposed by the opposition. According to Cricviz, in five Tests since his debut late last year, the Indian middle-order batter is averaging less than 6 against the short-ball. 

While Iyer has managed this issue reasonably well in white-ball cricket for India, the relentless nature of the Test match game has made things too difficult for the aggressive right-hander. 

In Edgbaston, playing the critical fifth Test of the Pataudi Trophy, Iyer found himself in a tangle in both his innings of the game. Served a barrage of short balls at the start of his vigil at the crease, Shreyas Iyer got out trying to trickle one down the leg side in the first half and got done in on a miscued pull in the second. 

The second one would've pained the cricketer a lot more since he had gotten in and had driven the ball nicely for his 19 off 26 balls. But the imminent dismissal against the short ball once again left much for debate as far as Iyer's game and standing in the Indian set-up is concerned. 

Shreyas Iyer drowned by the short ball once again 

The latest dismissal came off the bowling of Matthew Potts after England's first-change seamer aimed for the right-hander's body on a straight line. Cramping Shreyas Iyer for room with pace and bounce, Potts induced a miscued pull shot, which the batter could hit only as far as the short mid-wicket fielder. 

With no power behind his stroke, Iyer was gobbled up comfortably by a waiting James Anderson, who completed his 100th catch in Test cricket for England. Becoming Anderson's 100th scalp in the field, Iyer was made to do a long walk back to the pavilion. Visuals showed McCullum signaling to use the short ball ploy against his KKR player Shreyas Iyer.

 

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The disappointment on the batter's face told the whole story, as Shreyas Iyer had an otherwise encouraging start at the crease spoiled by a longstanding weakness against the short-pitched bowling. 

The batter will have to quickly resolve the issue if he is to survive long at the Test level playing for an Indian side not short of batting resources. 

 

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