Ind vs Eng 2022: 3 opening combinations for India if Rohit Sharma misses out
With Mayank Agarwal flown in as cover for Rohit Sharma in case, the latter misses the rescheduled Test against England, India can breathe easy as they prepare for the stern England challenge.
The side experimented with KS Bharat as one of the openers alongside Shubman Gill in their warm-up match against Leicestershire, and that forms one of the opening combos India can look at.
With Agarwal linking up, India bring in another option along with Hanuma Vihari and Bharat to face the James Anderson and Stuart Broad threat. Ahead of the start of the Edgbaston skirmish on July 1, we take a look at the three opening combinations that India will look at.
#1 Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal
Should Rohit Sharma miss out, Gill will automatically slot in as an opener in the side. He did fairly okay in the warm-up game, scoring 21 and 38, but failed to capitalize on the starts he got off to.
There is a possibility that the Punjab batter opens alongside Agarwal — a move that stems from the fact that the Karnataka batter comes with the experience of opening the batting. Agarwal's ability to be aggressive when the situation demands coupled with his experience makes him an ideal candidate to make the XI.
#2 KS Bharat and Shubman Gill: India's ideal openers
With scores of 70 and 43, KS Bharat has made a case for being in the playing XI even if he doesn't come in as an opener. But it shouldn't come as a surprise if he walks out to bat alongside Gill in Birmingham.
Bharat's watertight defense and ability to anchor the innings make him the perfect foil to a usually attacking Gill. This could very well be the opening pair in the Test match.
#3 Mayank Agarwal and KS Bharat
This seems to be the most unlikely option, but it is something to think about if Gill misses out as an opener. Much like Gill, Agarwal is a naturally attacking batter who will complement Bharat if they decide to be looked at as the opening combo.
The move will also be rather out-of-the-box. In all probability, this would be wishful thinking, but with the Covid-19 threat doing the rounds, Gill or Bharat missing out automatically thrust Agarwal into the side.