Who will open for Rohit Sharma between Shubman Gill and KL Rahul is a topic of great debate. In the Test series against Bangladesh, Gill and Rahul opened for India since captain Rohit could not play due to a thumb injury. But with the hosts’ regular skipper back at the top of the order, just one of Gill and Rahul might make the starting lineup.
To determine which of the two will open the innings for India alongside Rohit Sharma, let’s take three things into account:
Who has recently improved their form?
During the Bangladesh tour, Shubman Gill took advantage of the opportunity and scored his first-ever Test century in the first match at Chattogram. He didn’t hesitate to come down the track and attack the Bangladesh spinners when the opportunity arose, as he appeared to be at ease against them.
KL Rahul, on the other hand, struggled as a batter throughout the Test series. Rahul led India to a stunning victory in the second Test in Dhaka, despite only scoring 57 runs at a dismal 14.25 average.
In the just-finished ODIs against Sri Lanka, Gill added another hundred to his total, so he will undoubtedly feel confident. Based on his current performance, the youngster is superior to Rahul.
Who is more successful under Indian conditions?
In 11 innings of play during tests in India, Gill amassed 263 runs at a modest average of 26.30. To score heavily in the first innings in the subcontinent, he has hit two half-centuries but hasn’t been able to turn them into substantial hundreds.
Rahul performs far better at home and has a larger sample size in this regard, indicating that he is more familiar with these circumstances. In 22 home Test innings, he has an average of 44.25. He also has the record for seven straight half-centuries, which he scored against Australia in the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rahul has surpassed Gill in terms of domestic experience thanks mainly to past success against Australians in like circumstances.
Who has the most backing from the team management?
The most significant point working in Rahul’s favour may be that, despite his recent performance, the team management has supported him as the vice-captain of the Test team. Rahul led India in Rohit’s absence, illustrating the management’s appreciation of his importance to the squad.
Gill and Rohit built some strong partnerships in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and the home series against England in 2021. Along with Rohit, he also started the opening World Test Championship final.
But Rohit and Rahul’s achievement was one of the crucial aspects that helped the visitors secure a 2-1 victory in the summer of 2021. Rahul made the most of his chances by getting 100 points in South Africa and England, making it impossible to bench him for such a crucial home series.
Now, who do you believe should start against Australia in tests?
