'That's not how Test cricket works' - AB de Villiers reacts to Shreyas Iyer's 'attacking cricket' comment ahead of England Tests

India's three-match T20I series against Afghanistan was sealed when Rohit Sharma and Co. won the first two games comprehensively. The third T20I takes place in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17, but cricket enthusiasts already have one eye on India's upcoming five-match home Test series against England, which begins next week.

Shreyas Iyer, who bats at No. 5 for India in Test cricket, recently said that he would like to play aggressively against England, irrespective of the conditions and the situation. However, legendary South African batter AB de Villiers warned that it might not be the ideal approach to adopt in the longest format of the game.

"I absolutely love watching this guy play. He is geared to play in those England Test matches with a positive mindset. I don't think there is a lot correct in the statement that you're just going to play positive no matter what situation you are confronted with. That's not how Test cricket works. But he'll figure it out himself," De Villiers said in his latest YouTube video.

Sometimes you need to earn the right to play more attacking in Test cricket: AB de Villiers

The former South Africa captain explained the importance of adapting to the conditions and playing according to different match situations in Test cricket. De Villiers noted that Iyer will learn this as he gains more experience in red-ball cricket.

"I think mentally, you need to think in a positive manner. I'm going to come out here today. I'm going to play the match-winning innings. But Test cricket just doesn't allow you to bat positively for a whole day. That's the beauty about the game, you need to be able to adapt to certain situations and conditions. Sometimes you need to earn the right to play more attacking, and that's what Shreyas will certainly find out as he gets a bit more experience in Test cricket," De Villiers stated.

Iyer was recently part of India's Test side that toured South Africa for a two-match Test series. However, he didn't have a fruitful time in the Rainbow Nation, scoring only 41 runs in four innings. The right-handed batter wasn't included in the squad for the ongoing T20I series versus Afghanistan. He represented Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy 2024 encounter against Andhra Pradesh. In the one innings Iyer batted, he scored 48 off as many balls.