IND v AUS 2020: Gautam Gambhir wants India to back Shubman Gill even after Rohit Sharma's return
World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir feels India needs to back Shubman Gill even when Rohit Sharma becomes available for the third Test against Australia. Team India recently announced their playing XI for the second Test and Gill will make his debut in Melbourne.
Rohit Sharma is currently in quarantine in Sydney and will be available only for the third and fourth Tests after missing a major part of the Australia tour due to injury and fitness issues.
Gautam Gambhir wants Shubman Gill to get a longer run in the Test team and urged the team management to trust him.
''Only time will tell if Shubman Gill will be successful as an opening batsman. But getting an opportunity and making your debut in a Boxing Day Test in Australia, it can’t get much bigger than that. But again, I expect the team management not to pick him on hope. Pick him on trust," explained Gambhir.
"Even if Rohit Sharma comes back, they have got to push him somewhere in that batting order. It will be very unfair on Shubman Gill if he opens the batting and gets to a 20-30 and then suddenly Rohit Sharma comes back, and Gill finds himself outside the playing XI," Gambhir added.
How did Shubman Gill perform in the warm-up game?
Shubman Gill didn't have the best time in the first warm-up tie as he scored 0 and 29 against Australia A. The Kolkata Knight Riders batsman impressed in the second practice game as he managed scores of 43 and 65.
Many expected Gill to make his debut in the first Test on the back of that performance but the Indian team management went with Prithvi Shaw, who failed miserably at the Adelaide Oval. Now, Gill has got his chance and will look to make an impact in the Boxing Day Test.