No better way to top off a rollercoaster year with a century on Test debut for a player and Shreyas Iyer just did that in Kanpur in the first of the two-match series against New Zealand. There is no great time for an injury to happen but Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury at a very critical stage in his career when he had just started to cement his place in India’s white-ball side and in the IPL as the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC).
Iyer dislocated his shoulder in March during the three-match ODI series against England at home and later had to undergo surgery, which meant he was out of the action for at least four months. Iyer missed the first half of the IPL and Rishabh Pant was named as the new captain of Delhi Capitals.
Thankfully for him, the IPL was suspended and delayed to September and he had recovered till that time. However, he was stripped of his captaincy and played just as a player in the second half, lost his place in India’s T20 side and was there in the reserves for the T20 World Cup.
However, he made his return in the recently concluded three-match T20 series against New Zealand and was selected in the Test squad. With Kohli resting out of the first Test and KL Rahul sustaining an injury, he made his Test debut and boy he made a statement and a half.
Iyer had a scratchy start to his innings, going after the bowling to get off the mark but slowly settled down and played the ball to its merit. The occasional delivery was keeping low, while some were moving off the surface but Iyer got India through from a tricky situation at 145/4 and along with Ravindra Jadeja, whose batting has come leaps and bounds in the last few years, got his side to a strong total.
Iyer brought up his maiden half-century off 94 balls and continued on to get to the three-figure mark. He fell soon after in the first session on Day 2 to Tim Southee, caught at point, who was in the middle of a fabulous spell getting to his fifer.
Iyer became the 10th Indian batter to smash a century on Test debut on home soil and 16th Indian batter overall. Iyer’s innings and his partnership of 121 runs with Jadeja was vital for the hosts to get to 345. Here’s how fans reacted to Iyer’s innings and staggering comeback:
Shreyas Iyer becomes the 16th men’s player to score a century on Test debut for India pic.twitter.com/a7nwB9CqP3
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 26, 2021
Can we skip to the good part? pic.twitter.com/NPD6KPKAYc
— Manya (@CSKian716) November 26, 2021
Kanpur’s visibility level is very low. The only thing visible is Shreyas Iyer’s talent.
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) November 26, 2021
16th Indian Men’s cricketer to score a century on debut!
Played, Shreyas. Go on and make it a big one.
— Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) November 26, 2021
this was in April, just after shoulder surgery. and here he is, just a few months later with a hundred on test debut! #INDvNZ https://t.co/pOYbaSgf8b
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) November 26, 2021
Brilliant start to his Test career by @ShreyasIyer15, combining intrepidity with responsibility to pull India out of a looming crisis into a position of strength. Well done!
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) November 26, 2021
All of us to @ShreyasIyer15 right now:
What an innings #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/RdSSUSlWJR
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) November 26, 2021
You watch Iyer play and you wonder what Rahane is doing in the Indian team — a very fine century on debut. The only false shot I remember was his first one — an ill-advised lofted shot that Gavaskar termed as a T20 shot. pic.twitter.com/8II8mozFKU
— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) November 26, 2021
Well played @ShreyasIyer15
You deserve 4th place in ODI and T20i
And 5 th position in testsAll three format s batsman.#ShreyasIyer pic.twitter.com/LlYcqMRSqb
— Virendra Singh Shekhawat (@virendra_SS) November 26, 2021
@AninditaB_AB @BCCI @ShreyasIyer15
Why do we fall sir??
We fall so that we can learn to pick outselves up…take a bow shreyas iyer..Innings to be remembered..dream debut pic.twitter.com/f6wUHf7nYr
— Ajinkya Palkar (@Ajinkyapalkar24) November 26, 2021
Delighted for #ShreyasIyer. His talent was never in doubt since we first saw him at that 2014 U19 World Cup. This is proof now that he has the temperament to do it at this level. Keeps the game moving, isn’t afraid to play the big shots. Good modern player.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 26, 2021
Injured, Missed out IPL 2021 first half, lost the captaincy in Delhi Capitals, Sri Lanka tour (should have lead the team), was not part of the 15 member squad of T20 World Cup 2021 then to hundred on his Test debut – the journey of Shreyas Iyer in 2021. pic.twitter.com/Qd1hejvEtu
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 26, 2021
