Shreyas Iyer has been scrutinized since India’s Tour of South Africa concluded. The middle-order batter struggled in the Test series and failed to hit a single big score in four innings. After that, he was not selected for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, with conjecture that the reason was a disciplinary issue. However, Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid emphasized that this was not the case, and he was not selected since other hitters were in contention.

However, the 29-year-old will be under focus in the forthcoming five-match Test series against England. Preparing for the red-ball series, Iyer led Mumbai to a faultless 10-wicket win over Andhra Pradesh in their Elite Group B Ranji Trophy match. It was a nice experience. I wasn’t expecting much from myself, to be honest, but I wanted to create a rhythm going forward into the five-match series. The intensity will be high. Also, to stand on the field for 90 overs takes a lot of effort, so it all started from here, Iyer said.

You have to take one match at a time and not think much ahead. You have to consider all the factors. In terms of your mental ability, the stress is going to be a lot but at the same time, you have to handle the pressure situations well. So, these are the pros and cons of playing Test matches, Iyer added.

To be honest, I don’t think about what the opposition is going to do and what kind of mindset they are going to come with. It’s important we stick to our own plans and focus on our own abilities rather than concentrate much on our opponents, Iyer concluded.