The upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2023 India team selection has got everyone on the edge of their seats. With India’s previous performance, everyone is eager to see what the new team will bring to the table.
It appears likely that six players will be selected for India’s starting eleven for the first Test against Australia in Nagpur. However, the remaining five positions might cause heated discussions, as there are compelling alternatives for each.
Who partners Rohit Sharma in the opening?
In case India decides to include Suryakumar in their lineup, it will be a hard decision for them to make regarding the opening spot. Rohit Sharma will be back from his thumb injury, which means either Gill or Rahul must move down the order or sit out.
Gill had a successful debut series with a hundred in the first Test, but Rahul failed to perform, scoring 22, 23, 10 and 2.
Nevertheless, Rahul was the team captain in the two Tests that Rohit missed, and he is the designated vice-captain for the first two Tests of the series. It would be difficult for India to drop Rahul, but it appears to be the only way they can include both Gill and Suryakumar if they choose to go that route.
Who is replacing Shreyas Iyer?
Iyer has only featured in seven Test matches, but he has become a vital part of the middle order while playing on spin-friendly surfaces. With his and Rishabh Pant’s (who, along with Ravindra Jadeja, are the only three Indian batters [with a minimum of 5 innings] to average above 50 in Asia since the start of 2021) absence, India needs to fill a large gap in the middle order.
Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav are the top contenders for Iyer’s spot, and both make convincing cases for selection. Gill has scored four centuries, including an ODI double-century, in his last seven innings for India. Even if those runs were made in limited-overs cricket, he scored them in such a way that it demonstrated he is a special and rare talent coming of age. It is difficult not to pick someone who is in such impressive form.
Who will accompany Jadeja and Ashwin?
It is almost definite that India will choose Axar Patel together with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, even though their former coach, Ravi Shastri, believes Kuldeep Yadav should be given a chance. Shastri’s rationale for endorsing Kuldeep is valid. However, if India bowls first and the pitch does not give much assistance to spinners on the initial day, Kuldeep is probably more apt than any of the three finger-spinners to make anything out of the ground.
The choice could, eventually, be based on India’s reading of the pitch with what Smith said, Axar appears to be the more likely option.
Which fast bowlers should be selected?
Mohammed Shami is likely to take the field if he is fully fit, with a remarkable record in India – 67 wickets in 18 Test matches and with an average of 21.28 – and his ability to move the ball around could be a great advantage if there is not much bounce in the wicket.
Umesh Yadav is another similar bowler with a similar record in India – 98 wickets at 25.16 – and Nagpur is his home ground for domestic cricket. India has preferred Mohammed Siraj to Umesh more often when faced with the option, and it seems like this time will be the same, considering Siraj’s strengths against left-handed batters.
If Australia selects Matt Renshaw and Ashton Agar, their top eight will have six left-handers. Jaydev Unadkat, the other bowler in India’s squad, is unlikely to be chosen for the Nagpur game unless there is an injury or illness. If he is selected, Unadkat’s left-arm pace could be a differentiating factor and help create a rough outside the right-handers’ off stump for A.
