Will Shreyas Iyer be dropped in 3rd Test or will be continued despite poor form?

India defeated England by 106 runs in the 2nd Test on Monday to level the 5-match series 1-1. The Men Blue showed a dominant performance in Visakhapatnam. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah were the stars for the side, with the former scoring his maiden double hundred and the latter picking up nine wickets in the game, which earned him the Man of the Match. Rohit Sharma's men had the upper hand since Day 1 of the game, leading by 143 runs in the 1st innings, and the form of Shubman Gill gave the side more confidence. 

Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer demonstrated a great example of creating one's own luck. Out of nowhere, he produced a moment of fielding brilliance that blew the second Test against England wide open. Ben Stokes was the last realistic impediment to India's series-levelling triumph. The England captain had yet to get his stride, and the danger lurking behind that powerful body was not lost on anyone. On the other hand, Iyer's batting has been a question for the side, as he has yet to score runs in the longest format of the game. 

Since scoring 87 and 29 not out in a tense but successful run-chase against Bangladesh in Chattogram in December 2022, the 29-year-old has gone off while batting. He had the highest score of 37 in 12 innings on either side of back surgery in the middle of last year, with four single-digit scores offset by five efforts ranging from 26 to 37. 

 It’s about understanding: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid might have been alluding to Iyer when he spoke about finding the balance between being positive and selecting. He said, "For me, it’s about understanding if we are making the right decisions – to put them under pressure or to recognise that this is the moment to soak in the pressure and maybe be a little more conservative rather than attack."

The third Test is set to begin on the 15th of February, and the Men in Blue are yet to announce their side for the last three matches of the series.