The way Shreyas Iyer handled pressure on debut shows his character: VVS Laxman

India locked horns with New Zealand on day one of the Kanpur Test where Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer received his debut cap. Iyer’s debut couldn’t have been better as he stepped up for the team’s case when they were in a spot of bother and pitched in with crucial runs. He and Ravindra Jadeja built a sturdy partnership for the fifth picked by ending the day’s play on 258 runs.

Iyer remained unbeaten on 75 runs when the game winded up for day one and former cricketer VVS Laxman was all in praise of the young man’s show. Laman not only lauded his style of game but was in awe of Iyer’s mental strength and the character he showed under pressure situations.

“A lot of credit should be given to Shreyas Iyer for the simple fact that the last first-class game he played was almost 2 years back. The toughest challenge for any youngster is to shift the mindset from white-ball to red-ball cricket. He didn’t compromise on any aspect, he went out to play just like he plays for Mumbai or India A. The way he handled pressure shows his character. He has done that for Delhi Capitals, for India in white-ball cricket. It’s great news for India that a youngster seized the opportunity on his debut,” said Laxman while speaking to Star Sports.

It’s not that Shreyas Iyer played only dimensional cricket: Laxman

Laxman stated that there is a fine line between being aggressive and reckless and Iyer depicted that line quite well by managing his shots. He didn’t play one-dimensional cricket even after being new to India’s Test circuit. The former cricketer believed that more than skills, Iyer’s mental strength, and character were on display.

“Someone like Shreyas Iyer, who likes to play aggressive cricket, those shots can be reckless, sometimes. There is a very fine line between being reckless and being aggressive. I thought he was aggressive. Whenever Jamieson or Southee bowled good deliveries, he respected them. It’s not that he played only dimensional cricket,” he added.

“More than his skill, his character was on display. He shows his mental toughness,” he concluded.