"I know there's a temptation to push Shubman Gill" - Anil Kumble urges Team India to use KL Rahul as an opener in Australia during Rohit's absence
Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble has implored the team management not to move Shubman Gill from the No.3 position in the initial stages of the Border-Gavaskar series, which Rohit Sharma could reportedly miss due to personal reasons. Gill has settled in at the crucial batting position after a rough start, and India might seek other options to fill the void left by Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
Gill made his Test debut as an opener in Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar trophy. He made a strong start to his career, dealing with the likes of Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood with authority to score 259 runs in six innings at an average of 51.80, including a match-winning fifty in the iconic win at The Gabba.
There have been calls for the likes of the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran or Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Easwaran is on a hot streak, scoring four successive first-class tons, while Gaikwad reportedly missed out on the Bangladesh T20Is to focus on red-ball domestic cricket and prepare for the Border-Gavaskar series.
Kumble, however, feels KL Rahul is India's best choice as a makeshift opener. The wicketkeeper-batter is now a middle-order candidate for India, but has played the majority of his Test career as an opener.
I know there's a temptation to push Shubman Gill because Rohit is not available in the first Test. But, there's always KL Rahul, and that name is synonymous with change and adapting to whatever the team wants. Whether you want to open the batting or keep wickets, Rahul Dravid did that, now KL Rahul is doing that," Kumble told the broadcasters during the rain break on Day 1 of the series opener between India and New Zealand.
After lean away series against the West Indies and South Africa, the youngster was among the runs in his newfound position. He has scored three tons this year already, two against England and one recently against Bangladesh.
"He may have to change a little bit based on the conditions" - Anil Kumble on Shubman Gill
Gill's predecessor, Cheteshwar Pujara, played a crucial role for India at No.3 in both of their triumphs in Australia of late. Kumble noted how Dravid and Pujara heled the position for so long to make it their own, and felt that Gill needs to stay for long hours at the crease to fulfill the role.
"You get in there to control that first session and see off the new ball because we know that the Kookaburra Ball after the 1st 25 hours, the best time to bat is between the 30th over and the 60th over. And that's what these two batters did throughout their careers, ensuring that the team was safe and the four number four, number five, and number six batters, came in much later into the lineup so that they could comfortably bat and score the runs," Kumble added.
"So Shubman will have to play that role very specifically in Australia. He may have to change a little bit based on the conditions. He has the ability (to do that) as well," he concluded.
The Border-Gavaskar series is scheduled to begin from November 22 onwards at the Optus Stadium in Perth.