IND vs NED: 'Who's the guy who stands up?' Rahul Dravid explains why Team India backs Shreyas Iyer

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IND vs NED: Ahead of India's last league match of World Cup 2023 against Netherlands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, November 12, head coach Rahul Dravid has explained exactly why the team strongly backs Shreyas Iyer.

Dravid praised Shreyas Iyer's temperament and his ability to handle failure and success. Talking about his dismissals against short balls, he said that no batter on the planet is perfect.

He also talked about Shreyas Iyer's match-winning ability by talking about his his crucial knocks in the Mirpur Test against Bangladesh in December last year. In the match, Shreyas Iyer scored scored crucial 87 runs in the first innings to help India take a crucial 87-run lead.

Chasing a 145-run target in the second innings, India were seven down for 74 runs when Shreyas Iyer scored unbeaten 29 runs and forged a 71-run partnership to win the thrilling encounter on a rank turner.

"He brings temperament. I think one of the things Shreyas has shown us is right from the time that I have seen him as sort of an India A, he came and played India A when I was coaching those days. And I think one of the things that's really stood out about me is his temperament, the way he handles success, failure.

"You just look at even some of his knocks under pressure, how he's able to actually bring the best out of himself under those pressure situations," Dravid said when asked what makes Shreyas Iyer special at number four.

"So, it's about, you can go on about, everyone will have areas that they need to work on and need to improve, it's not - someone might have some other area, there's no complete batsman who can say that I can, I know everything or I'm very good at everything?

"I mean, it's, you know, you always going to need areas to improve. But in the end of the day, you have to be judged by the results you produce. And the runs you score and when you score them.

"And I think Shreyas, one of the things that does stand out. Look at some of his test innings, look at how he started his test debut. Look at some of the critical knocks he's played for us. Even in the two years that I've been here, I mean, Bangladesh, you know that game, under extreme pressure, who's the guy who stands up? Ash and Shreyas, guys like that who incredible temperament, incredible strength of mind, and I think that's, that’s what has held him in really good stead.

"He's terrific temperamentally. So, when someone like him does well, you know he's going to make big contributions. It may not always work out, but when it does, you know someone like him is going to make a big play," Dravid added.

Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for duck in his first World Cup 2023 match against Australia. He scored unbeaten 25 and 53 against Afghanistan and Pakistan in the next two matches, before registering scores of 19, 33 and 4.

However, he has upped the ante just on time, scoring 82 and 77 in his last two outings. The 77 runs came against South Africa on a difficult Eden Gardens batting surface against South Africa.

India have qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup 2023. They will face New Zealand in the recap of the 2019 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, November 15.