Batter Shreyas Iyer’s absence created immense confusion among the Indian fans today. It all happened when Iyer didn’t come out to bat after all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s (28) dismissal on the fourth day of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Test match against Australia in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
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Good enough to bat at No. 5, Iyer is made to bat below Jadeja because of the team management’s obsession with a left-handed batter in the Top Five. However, with wicket-keeper batter Srikar Bharat getting promoted to No. 6, fans were left puzzled with respect to a demotion for Iyer.
That said, it was only after Jadeja’s dismissal that it had come to known that Iyer injured himself during the third day of the match at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
What is latest Shreyas Iyer fitness update?
For the unversed, Iyer didn’t bat at No. 6 because of pain in his lower back at the moment. As a result, he has been sent for scans with no exact time frame or clarity about his role in the remainder of the match.
“Shreyas Iyer complained of pain in his lower back following the third day’s play. He has gone for scans and the BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him,” read a Shreyas Iyer fitness update from the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
Readers must note that this isn’t the first time in 2023 when the right-handed batter has missed out on action due to a back issue. Iyer, 28, had missed New Zealand ODIs and the first Test of this series in Nagpur due to stiffness in his back in the recent months.
Yet to register a significant contribution in this series, Iyer would’ve been useful for the home team in terms of scoring quick runs on a batting-friendly pitch unlike the second and third Tests in Delhi and Indore respectively. While one hopes for Iyer to bat later in the day, such recurring back issues are never a good sign for any cricketer.
