3 reasons why India resting Shubman Gill for 3rd ODI vs Australia is the right move
Team India's opening batter Shubman Gill has been rested for the upcoming third and final ODI against Australia, according to reports. The youngster is arguably in the form of his life following a historic year, which could culminate with an ODI World Cup trophy as well.
Gill, who began the year as a backup opening batter in the 50-over team, is now one of the first names on the team sheet. He had a landmark home season, followed by a prolific 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. While the right-handed batter had to endure a lackluster Caribbean tour, he roared back into form in the 2023 Asia Cup.
The youngster has scored 1,230 runs at an average of 72.35 and a strike rate of 105 so far, marking a memorable year already that could turn into something historic.
Gill recently scored a hundred in India's win in the second ODI at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, marking the sixth time that he has crossed the three-figure mark in the format.
He is already a frontrunner to be among the leading run scorers at the 2023 ODI World Cup and it is evident that Team India's fate at the tournament relies a lot on how he performs.
On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India resting Shubman Gill for the third ODI against Australia is the right move.
#1 Preserve his rich form
First and foremost, from the team's perspective, the primary agenda of winning the series has been completed. Team India have nearly ticked all of their boxes heading into the World Cup, and the momentum from the series win will prove to be beneficial as well.
Furthermore, with the likes of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer also attaining some much-needed game time, the Men in Blue can elevate their experimentation, which includes testing themselves out without the in-form Shubman Gill.
The youngster's presence at the top of the order has nearly guaranteed India of a seamless start, except on a select few occasions. As mentioned earlier, he has been in incredible form, and he could use a game off to come into the mega tournament with the same form and a fresher mind.
In this manner, he enters the World Cup on the back of a couple of big scores, which might not have been the case had he been part of the third ODI and dismissed for a small score.
Gill has also been playing constant cricket over the course of the year, with a slight break after the World Test Championship (WTC) final being the sole notable gap in his schedule.
#2 Gives a chance to test out Ishan Kishan at the top of the order again as a backup opener
India need not look too far back to understand the importance of having a reserve opener. The team had to shuffle their batting unit following Shikhar Dhawan's injury at the 2019 World Cup in England, and should a similar debacle arise in this edition as well, Ishan Kishan will be the player to handle the crisis.
The wicketkeeper-batter, having scored even a double hundred in ODIs, has had to be content with a spot in the middle order following Rohit and Gill's success at the top.
Now, with Gill out of the equation for a solitary match, the third ODI proves to be an opportunity to give Kishan an opportunity as an opening batter, which is his secondary role in the squad.
The southpaw scored three consecutive fifties in the ODI series against West Indies while opening the innings. He also opened in the 2023 Asia Cup final while chasing a modest 50-run target against Sri Lanka.
#3 Takes records and rankings out of the equation for now
Given the prolific year that the youngster has had, it was inevitable that he would be in the reckoning for the No. 1 ranking among ODI batters.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam holds the spot at the moment, but Gill is climbing up at a rapid pace. Ever since the last update in the rankings, all eyes have been on Gill, as if the pressure of opening the innings for India was not enough.
Similarly, with India set to play at least nine more ODIs in the form of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Gill has an opportunity to score the most number of runs in a calendar year, a record currently held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar scored 1894 runs in 33 innings, and Gill has a realistic shot at the record if he manages to maintain his current form.
With the youngster being rested for the third ODI, the talks of his ranking and chasing records might die down a bit, which augurs well for Gill in the long run.
Have Team India made the right decision to rest the opening batter for the third ODI against Australia? Let us know what you think.