IndiaThe batting unit failed to live up to expectations England Made a strong comeback to win the second ODI and level the three-match series. After facing defeat in the series opener, the hosts responded strongly to level the contest and force a winner-takes-all decider. While India’s top order struggled to make changes early on and the team fell behind in the challenging chase, some individual performances stood out. One of them came from the star batsman, whose composed innings under pressure earned praise from the former India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel.
Parthiv Patel told which batsman in the Indian team always remains ‘under the radar’
Speaking after the match, Patel described Shreyas Iyer As one of the most underrated names in the Indian setup, he said his contributions are often overshadowed by the attention given to senior stars. Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli. Analyzing India’s batting performance on JioStar, Parthiv highlighted Iyer’s value in the ODI setup and felt that the middle-order batsman rarely gets the appreciation he deserves despite consistently performing well in crucial situations.
“If we talk about ODI cricket, his performances generally remain under the radar. There is a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but Shreyas Iyer has performed equally well since the 2023 World Cup.” Parthiv said on JioStar.
The former Indian cricketer said that Iyer has saved India from difficult situations time and again by proving his worth in the middle order. He also credited the batsman for continuing his impressive form from the T20Is into the ODI series against England.
“Whenever India has been in trouble, he has played important innings and on this tour, he has played incredible innings in the T20s as well. In the ODIs, he got the start in the last match as well, and here, under pressure, wickets were falling from the other end, but he kept his composure and played such innings.” Parthiv added.
Patel also praised Iyer’s cricket awareness and tactical approach, especially in the No. 4 role where balancing aggression and consistency is often important.
“He is a responsible batsman for India at No. 4. He understands the pace of the game. He knows what run rate he has to bat at. The best thing is that he knows against which bowlers he can score runs. He has a very good knowledge of his game.” He observed.
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Expectations have increased from this star batsman before the series-deciding third ODI.
Despite India’s defeat in the second ODI, Iyer’s calm and calculated innings emerged as one of the biggest positives for the visitors. At a time when wickets were constantly falling and the pressure was mounting, the right-handed batsman showed maturity by rotating the strike, hitting boundaries at crucial moments and preventing the innings from collapsing completely.
His performances have further cemented his reputation as India’s dependable No. 4 batsman in the 50-over format. Having already impressed during the T20I leg of the England tour, Iyer has carried that confidence into the ODI series, making him one of India’s key players in the decider.
With the series now tied at 1-1, India will be hoping that their batting unit performs much better in the final ODI. That responsibility may once again fall on Iyer’s shoulders, especially if the top order fails to provide a solid platform. Another composed innings from the middle-order batsman could prove decisive as India look to win the series and quell England’s resurgence.
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