"If he’s serious...": Shreyas Iyer's flawed technique exposed as Test snub fully justified

Former England National Cricket Team spinner Monty Panesar has shared his honest views on the snub of the star batsman Shreyas Iyer from the India National Cricket Team for the England tour.

Monty Panesar justified his non-selection in the Indian Test team, stating that the right-hander does not have a good batting technique for swinging conditions, which will be on offer in England.

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Shreyas Iyer fails to make the cut in the Indian Test team

India will field a comparatively inexperienced batting line-up in the upcoming five-match Test series against England as the likes of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane will not be present.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant will have to do the heavy lifting. Also, all eyes will be on how the comeback man Karun Nair and the young batting sensation Sai Sudharsan will perform against Ben Stokes-led side if they get the opportunity.

Sarfaraz Khan was surprisingly dropped from the Test team despite not getting the opportunity to prove himself in overseas conditions, and another major name that was missing from the squad was Shreyas Iyer.

The Punjab Kings captain has significantly improved his game against the short ball and has looked in the best form of his life. He has consistently scored runs in ODIs, domestic cricket, and the Indian Premier League.

In the five Ranji Trophy matches he played in the 2024-25 season, he scored 480 runs at an average of 68.57, but the selectors didn't pick him in the squad, even in the absence of some veterans.

So, I think technique-wise, his game probably isn't suited - Monty Panesar

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Monty Panesar was asked whether Shreyas Iyer could have been an X-factor for India in the five-match Test series against England.

Replying to this, the former England bowler with 167 Test wickets said that Iyer is a good batter on flat tracks, but his technique isn't suited for swinging conditions, hence, his non-selection is justified. He elaborated:

"Shreyas Iyer's got a very good technique against flat tracks and bouncy pitches. I think the swinging conditions, maybe his technique doesn't line up at the moment.

"That's what I think. Because I think his hands are a bit hard. He hasn't got the soft touch, playing late with the swing ball. Seeing the swing early and playing late, he does come hard at the ball. So, I think technique-wise, his game probably isn't suited for swinging conditions at the moment."

I think he needs to play county cricket - Monty Panesar

Monty Panesar opined that the BCCI selection committee went with the players who are more suited to deal with swinging and seaming conditions.

He further suggested Shreyas Iyer to play County Cricket and improve his game to make a case for his comeback in Test team. He said:

"And that's why they probably thought that, give some of the other players a go whose game is suited against swinging-seaming conditions. In terms of Shreyas Iyer, to get into the Test team, I think he needs to play county cricket."

"If he's serious about playing Test cricket, he needs to find a county and play a season of county cricket. And then, prove to the selectors that his technique is up to standard against a swimming string and ball."