‘If he's ready to go, he will walk straight into the XI’ – Rahul Dravid drops massive hint on Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion ahead of Delhi Test

Ahead of the second of the four-match Test series against Australia, India head coach Rahul Dravid has dropped a huge update on Shreyas Iyer’s inclusion in the side. After taking a 1-0 lead in the series following a dominating win in the first Test, Rohit Sharma and Co. host the Aussies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi which is scheduled to be played on Friday, February 17.

Leading to the second red-ball contest, head coach Dravid confirmed that Iyer will make the cut in the playing XI assuming he is ‘ready to go’. The flambouyant batter was sidelined against New Zealand and the first Test against Australia due to a back injury but has completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and is fully fit.

"It's always great to have somebody back from injury. We never like to lose people because of injury. It's not for us as a team, not nice for the individual. I'm glad that he is back and fit. We'll take a call after a couple of days of training,” Dravid told during the pre-match presser ahead of the second Test.

“He's had a long session today; he has done some training. We will assess it tomorrow as well once he comes for a light hit and see how it goes. If he is fit and ready to go and take the load of five days of a Test match, then without a doubt with his past performances, he will walk straight into the XI,” added Dravid.

Shreyas Iyer stands out for his temperament: Rahul Dravid

Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav, who was handed his Test debut in the first clash, endured an underwhelming start as he only got eight runs with the willow. Assuming Iyer makes the cut in the XI, the possibility that Suryakumar loses his place remains high. Furthermore, Dravid reflected on his ability to perform under pressure is what has stood out the most apart from his game. 

"Yes, Shreyas has played well against spin but what really stood out is his temperament. We've been in quite a few pressure situations with Shreyas around, right from his debut game in Kanpur. In the last year and a half, he, (Ravindra) Jadeja and Rishabh (Pant) have been the ones bailing us out from those tough situations by playing those critical knocks,” Dravid concluded.