Iyer revealed that he only came to know he was playing via a late-night call from captain Rohit Sharma.
“So, funny story,” Iyer said. “I was watching a movie last night, I thought I could extend my night, but then I got a call from skipper saying that you may play because Virat has got a swollen knee. And then [I] hurried back to my room, went off to sleep straightaway.”
Asked about Jaiswal starting ahead of him, Iyer kept his answer diplomatic. “You know what you want me to say, but I’m going to keep it low-key and cherish this moment, the victory today.”
Jaiswal’s addition necessitated a shuffle in India’s line-up, breaking up their regular opening partnership of Rohit and Shubman Gill, with Gill moving down to No. 3. It is as yet unclear who would have batted at No. 3 had Kohli also been available.
Iyer has established himself as India’s ODI No. 4 over recent years, and was a vital member of their line-up during their run to the final of the 2023 World Cup, scoring 468 runs at an average of 66.25, with two hundreds including a 70-ball 105 in the semi-final against New Zealand. His strike rate of 113.24 was the best among India’s middle-order batters.
The series against England is India’s last set of ODIs before the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19. India are set to open their tournament with a match against Bangladesh on February 20.
It’s not yet clear that India’s original top order for Thursday’s match indicates how they are looking to line up at the Champions Trophy. With Jaiswal uncapped, it is possible they may have been looking to give him game time in this series to keep him ready to play in case India lose one of their regular openers. Gill’s move to the middle order could have been aimed at testing him out in that role should the need arise to replace a middle-order batter. Jaiswal’s left-handedness could also be a factor: there is no left-hand batter in India’s first-choice top six from the World Cup.