WTC Final: "Shubman Gill should have definitely played" - Aakash Chopra if KL Rahul could have opened ahead of him
Aakash Chopra has opined that Team India made the right call by opting to play Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma's opening partner in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Gill scored 36 runs across his two knocks in the WTC final. Although he looked comfortable in the middle and played some pleasing shots, he could not convert his starts into a big knock.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was asked by a fan if Team India would have been better off playing KL Rahul instead.
The former India opener responded in the negative and added Gill should be persisted with even in the first Test against England.
"Shubman Gill should have definitely played. I feel he should definitely be played the first Test against England as well. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma was the right combination."
Aakash Chopra pointed out that the 21-year-old was the right choice as the opener, although the results might suggest otherwise.
"It did not work out; if we look back the path always looks better on the rear-view mirror but whoever has to select the team has to look ahead and not behind," Aakash Chopra said.
Gill has scored just a solitary half-century in the five Tests he has played since his exploits in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He will hope to make significant contributions in the Test series against England. If he is unable to do so, his place could be up for grabs.
"Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma was the right decision" - Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra reiterated that Gill and Rohit Sharma was the right opening combination. He wants the duo to open in the first Test against England as well.
"Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma was the right decision. Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma will be the right decision for the first Test match also. I am going with what the team did."
Aakash Chopra also highlighted that KL Rahul would anyway not have played ahead of Gill, with Mayank Agarwal already waiting in the wings.
"You couldn't have played him [Rahul]. Before KL Rahul, they should have played Mayank Agarwal. And now when you go ahead also, Mayank is ahead of KL Rahul in the pecking order."
Both Rahul and Mayank have not played any competitive red-ball cricket for a considerable time. The Indian team could not have played either of them ahead of Gill and neither of them were named in the final 15-member squad for the encounter as well.