According to an ESPNCricinfo report, India middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer did not make it into the playing XI for the Johannesburg Test due to a stomach bug. Iyer had a brilliant outing in Test cricket against New Zealand recently, as he scored 202 runs from two matches with an average of 50.5.
Team India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series against South Africa, and began their second red-ball fixture in Johannesburg. Virat Kohli was ruled out of the second Test match after he sustained a back spasm ahead of the fixture. KL Rahul, who was appointed as stand-in vice-captain for the Test series against Proteas was given the leadership role in the Johannesburg Test, and Hanuma Vihari replaced Kohli in the middle-order of Team India.
However, fans on social media erupted after Shreyas Iyer was denied another opportunity in the ongoing three-match Test series. The right-hand batsman was overlooked by the team management for the first Test in centurion, and for the series opener, India prefered Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who are currently having a drought for runs in the red-ball format.
Iyer had a great time with the bat in his Test debut series as he scored 202 runs from two matches against New Zealand with an average of 50.5. Fans and experts expected Iyer’s entry into the playing XI after Virat Kohli was ruled out of the second Test match. However, Vihari who has had a better experience in the South African conditions recently, was given the chance in place of Kohli.
According to an ESPNCricinfo report, Shreyas Iyer was left out of the playing XI in the second Test match because of having a stomach bug. Shreyas Iyer has so far featured in two Tests, 25 ODIs, and 32 T20Is for Team India, and has been a consistent performer in all formats of the game.
