India vs West Indies: With batting carnage in 2nd ODI, Shreyas Iyer makes the No 4 spot his own

The only blemish in an otherwise perfect day for Shreyas Iyer and India was that the solitary over he bowled went for 13 runs. There was nothing that he couldn’t do otherwise in the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday.

Iyer’s breathtaking run out of Shimron Hetmyer could have easily led one to believe that he was briefly operating from Ravindra Jadeja’s body; that’s how good it was. The ball was destined to reach the fence, Iyer threw all of his six-foot frame to stop the ball, and what followed was even better: showing brilliant presence of mind, the 25-year-old’s inch-perfect throw saw Hetymer fall well short of his ground at the non-striker’s end.

Presence. Athleticism. Awareness – all qualities that Virat Kohli would have wanted from his fielders in what was yet another below-par showing on the field for the Indians.

It was Iyer’s extraordinary hitting, however, that propelled India to a match-winning score that was out of reach for even the buccaneering Windies batsmen.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul’s centuries had set the tone for a big score but India lost three quick wickets. The hosts could have just as easily lost their way in the final overs had a sense of panic crept in. But, Iyer is no spring chicken. Hardened by several seasons of domestic cricket and a long wait on the sidelines for an extended run in the blue – albeit one that made him emotionless a year ago – Iyer was too good a batsman to miss out.

While the first One-day International proved the Mumbai batsman’s ability to steady the ship by showing a mature head on his shoulders, something that Rishabh Pant should also get credit for, the duo teamed up for a six-hitting competition of sorts against a listless West Indies attack on Wednesday.

Iyer also made a bit of history, engineering the most runs in an over by an Indian batsman in an ODI – 31 – which included four sixes and a four. The ability to accelerate is something that comes naturally to him. And on batting-friendly conditions in Visakhapatnam, he jumped at the opportunity with utmost glee. Roston Chase found out Iyer’s range-hitting, particularly in the mid-wicket region, the hard way.

Having spent a good part of two years auditioning batsmen for the dreaded No 4 spot before the World Cup, Iyer, now has almost shut the door on the subject. Since the quadrennial tournament, he has slotted in with such ease. Ironically, Iyer was given a run during the lead up to the World Cup but featured way down in the pecking order, eventually missing out on the tournament. There was very little noise about it too.

Now, with the sheer weight of his performances, Iyer has thrown a sea of what-if questions had the team management persisted with him; that’s how tailor-made he is for the position. He has multiple gears in his game and Kohli wasn’t complaining.

“It was made more out of an issue than it actually was,” Kohli defended India’s No 4 woes during the World Cup. He added: “If the No 4 doesn’t get to bat consistently, then it doesn’t help. He’s [Iyer] grabbed his chances and performed well. It’s a very tricky situation to come in and we are just happy that a youngster has come in and is playing freely.”

His domestic and List A record tells you exactly how consistent a run scorer Iyer is. Former India captain Anil Kumble, before the start of the series, thought that Iyer getting an extended run at two-down was a no-brainer.

Not long ago, India’s limited-overs plans while batting first wore a dated look, especially in a day and age where even a score of 400 may not guarantee you a win. With the clock ticking towards the T20 World Cup, the need to have batsmen who can change the nature of the game in the span of two overs becomes vital.

With Iyer, Rishabh Pant hitting form and Hardik Pandya gearing up to make his return, India suddenly find themselves armed with a battalion of big-hitting batsmen. But, Iyer is much more than just your average slogger from Shivaji Park. He is someone who can be entrusted to bail the team out when they are struggling at 3/2 and also power the team to a 387 from, say, 320 in the death overs – all ingredients of an ideal No 4 recipe.