NEWS
Follow UsAfter scoring a scintillating hundred in his maiden Test, Shreyas Iyer earned the right to invite his coach Pravin Amre for dinner at his home. The right-handed batter fulfilled a condition the former India player had imposed on his protege by scoring a hundred on Test debut. The coach told him that he would only come to his place for dinner if he scored a Test century.
"So after today's game, not game, basically after today's century, I'll message him and invite him for dinner," quipped Iyer at the end of the second day's play in the opening Test against New Zealand.
With the Indian team tottering at 106/3 in the first innings on Day 2, the 26-year-old anchored the innings and stitched a valuable partnership of 121 runs with Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth wicket. En route to this stand, Shreyas reached the landmark figure to become the 16th Indian player to score a hundred on debut.
Interestingly, Amre also scored a hundred on his Test debut, way back in 1992 against South Africa.
"Pravin sir obviously, whenever I go for training, he keeps on saying that you have achieved a lot in your life, you have been the captain of an IPL team, you have scored so many runs, this and that, but that was in white-ball cricket. But your main achievement would be when you receive the Test cap, and I am sure he would be really happy when I received it," Iyer said in the virtual press conference.
Shreyas recalled his initial days playing in the maidens of Mumbai and said, "Now I got an opportunity in Tests and in the first one, I scored a hundred, that feeling is different, and I cannot express it. I received a lot of messages, and all were saying that this is an achievement and this is the best thing you have achieved in life, and it took me back to my Mumbai cricketing days; it is a good feeling."
According to Iyer, his father Santosh and his mother have been the reasons for his success. "My dad, he obviously loves Test cricket the most and to give him this gift a century would be the best achievement for me and also for him as well as a father.
"It is a great feeling for both of us and my mom and dad. They have been really supportive throughout my journey, and they have been the pillars of my success so far," he signed off.
(With inputs from PTI)