Shreyas Iyer, the Indian cricketer known for his dynamic and fearless batting, is set to make his return to the Indian team for the second Test against Australia starting on February 17. Iyer missed the three-match ODI series against New Zealand and the first Test against Australia due to a back injury. However, he has now completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and is back to full fitness. He will be a welcome addition to the Indian middle-order, which has been struggling for runs in recent times.

_ NEWS _: Shreyas Iyer to join India squad for Delhi Test. #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS

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India’s head coach Rahul Dravid has confirmed that Iyer will walk straight into the playing XI if he proves his fitness in training. Iyer batted for long hours in India’s first full-fledged training session and will bat again on Thursday. Dravid has said that if the team management feels he is ready to take the load for five days, he will straightaway come into the XI.

Iyer has been one of India’s top performers in ODIs and Tests in the last year and a half. Ever since making his debut against New Zealand in November 2021, he has shown admirable composure at this level. Iyer is India’s second-highest scorer in Test cricket since his debut. His tally of 624 runs in 7 Tests at an average of 56 is only behind Rishabh Pant’s 722 runs in 8 matches.

“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. 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,” Dravid said in the pre-match press conference.

Dravid has praised Iyer’s temperament and his ability to perform under pressure. He emphasized that more than Iyer’s abilities against spinners, it’s his temperament that has impressed him the most, making him a sure-shot contender in the middle order. Dravid added that Iyer’s temperament in Bangladesh when the team was under pressure is something that is a really good sign.

“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, Jadeja and Rishabh have been the ones bailing us out from those tough situations by playing those critical knocks. His temperament in Bangladesh when we were under the pump, is something that is a really good sign,” Dravid added.

While Iyer’s return is good news for the Indian team, it is bad news for Suryakumar Yadav, who made his debut in the first Test against Australia. Yadav was out bowled for eight in his first Test innings, and it seems he will have to step out to make way for Iyer. However, Dravid has assured that the team values the contributions of players who have performed and deserve to make a comeback after an injury. He emphasized that without it being on stone and without it being a rule, the current team management values performers who have won matches for India.

“Without it being on stone and without it being a rule… We value the contributions of people who have performed. If they have missed out due to injuries, they deserve the right to make a comeback irrespective of what has happened during the time that they have been injured,” he said.