"His best will come at No.4"- Aakash Chopra highlights why Shubman Gill shouldn't open in Test cricket
Shubman Gill is set to open the innings for Team India in the forthcoming rescheduled fifth Test against England. However, former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that might not be the ideal batting position for the right-hander.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he pointed out that Gill tends to struggle when the ball is swinging. He opined that the talented youngster would be more successful playing at No.3 or No.4 in red-ball cricket.
Chopra also mentioned that the England Test will be a tough one for Shubman Gill as he will have just a single fixture to prove himself. He suggested that playing a full five-match series gives a player enough time to get back into form even if he has a slow start.
Chopra said:
"Shubman Gill is now surely going to be one of the openers for the rescheduled Test. But I am not a hundred percent certain that he's the best choice for the position. I believe that his best will come at No.3 or No.4. We have seen that he isn't too comfortable against when the ball starts to swing, even in home conditions.
"He's going to play just a single Test in England now. When you're playing a series of five Tests, you have a chance of bouncing back even if you fail early on."
UPDATE - #TeamIndia Captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday. He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team.
Incidentally, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were India's openers when they toured England last year. While Rahul has been ruled out with a groin injury, there's no clarity on Sharma's availability, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
"Mayank Agarwal doesn't get many opportunities in overseas Tests" - Aakash Chopra
India have called up Mayank Agawal for the impending one-off Test against hosts England. He will be Rohit Sharma's back-up and will play as an opener if the Indian skipper is unavailable for the match.
Chopra stated that Agarwal has been exceptional with the bat, especially when playing at home. However, he highlighted that the Karnataka cricketer hasn't had a lot of opportunities on overseas tours.
He stated:
"Mayank Agarwal is an unstoppable force in India. He scores a lot of runs at home and that is why he is able to retain his place in the side for overseas tours. But he doesn't get many opportunities in those games. He didn't do well in South Africa and that's why wasn't included in the squad for the England Test."
NEWS - Mayank Agarwal added to India’s Test squad as a cover for captain Rohit Sharma, who tested positive for COVID-19.
More details here - bcci.tv/articles/2022/… #ENGvIND https://t.co/f5iss5vIlL
India and England are set to play the rescheduled fifth Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting on July 1. The first four fixtures of the rubber were played last year and India lead the series by a 2-1 margin.