Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said that Team India middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer needs to work on his batting against pace bowling as it can be seen that he struggles a little against bowlers with extra pace. However, Shreyas was in good form for India in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka earlier this year. He smashed three fifties and was not dismissed even once as well, ending the series with 204 runs also.
But, his struggles against pace bowling resumed in the IPL. In the ongoing T20I against South Africa also he has failed to leave an impact. Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan agreed that he needs to brush up his skills against pace bowling. He stated: “Yes obviously, he has struggled against pace, not only in this series but in quite a few matches (before that). Even in the IPL, we have seen that when it comes to fast bowlers who are bowling 140-plus, he has struggled a little. His strike rate has also gone down.”
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Irfan Pathan has also observed that while Shreyas Iyer is comfortable against spin and medium pace, he gets uncomfortable against fast bowling. He added: “He likes to play against spinners and if you are bowling less than 140 kph, he is very much comfortable. But the one area of his game he needs to improve is facing the fast bowlers, especially when the ball comes close to his shoulders.”
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“He likes to play against spinners and if you are bowling less than 140 kph, he is very much comfortable. But the one area of his game he needs to improve is facing the fast bowlers, especially when the ball comes close to his shoulders. As far as his first-class cricket is concerned, he averages over 50. He is a brilliant batter and he has performed really well. As much as he has got a chance of batting at No. 3, he has played his part. His numbers are really good, especially in the last few months, for India as well,” he stated about Shreyas Iyer.
