India’s middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer has made his Test debut on Thursday in the first Test against New Zealand at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. He was added to the playing XI in absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (both rested) and KL Rahul (injured) and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He remained unbeaten on 75 at the end of the day as well.

However, he has entertained the crowd with some big sixes and boundaries as well which left the Kanpur crowd in awe. And after being impressed with his performance, they were heard shouting, “5 Rupay Ki Pepsi, Iyer Bhai Sexy” as he continued to punish the New Zealand bowlers in the third session as well. Notably, Team India finished at 258/4 after being 145/4 at one stage before the stumps.

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5₹ Ki Pepsi
Iyer Bhai Saxxy @ShreyasIyer15 pic.twitter.com/HuYPEhiNIm

— Sikandar (@ItShakilAhmed06) November 25, 2021

However, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat first. Both Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill found it difficult to score at first in front of the high-class swing bowling from Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson. And, the visitors found success soon after as Jamieson removed Agarwal for 13.

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Shubman Gill, meanwhile, studied the ship with his cut, drive, flick, and also smashed Patel for a straight six. Gill scored his fifty before lunch. However, in the first over of the second session, Jamieson bowled him with a sharp in-seamer which went past Gill’s defence and took an inside edge on its way and hit the stumps as well. Soon, Cheteshwar Pujara also got out for 26 and then Rahane after scoring 35 runs.

Later, Shreyas Iyer and the all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja built the partnership with time before hitting some shots of their own in the third session as well. Both of them punished any bad ball from the spinners on both sides of the wicket too. While Jadeja remained unbeaten at 50, where he smashed six boundaries, Iyer hit seven fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 75-run knock as well.