On February 9, India and Australia will face each other in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy set to take place in Nagpur. A lot of speculation is going in the heads of cricket experts and fans regarding the playing XI of India.
Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant are already out of the series which has automatically opened the 2 slots for other players. Now team India is looking for their perfect replacement. However, it will be hard for Team India to find a player like Pant who has been so dynamic in test cricket for many reasons.
When Indian vice-captain KL Rahul was asked whether Shubman Gill will be batting at number five the vice-captain said,”We still haven’t decided on the final XI.It’s going to be a tough decision to make.There are guys who have performed exceedingly well and there are a few spots open so there are a few discussions going on and the players are being spoken to.”
On the other hand, former national selector, Devang Gandhi said coach Rahul Dravid should go with Gill in the first test for the kind of form he is going with.
While speaking to Times Of India, Devang Gandhi said,“Shubman had a double hundred in West Indies playing for India ‘A’ in the middle-order. And in the last Test series that he played (against Bangladesh), he got a century.”
The pitch looks dry and India will be looking to go with their full-fledged spin power in the name of Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, and Axar Patel. Six perfectionist batters including the wicketkeeper should be the choice of management.
Ravi Shastri Advised To Pick Best Spin Combination For Indian Team In The Upcoming Series
Devang Gandhi feels that Axar Patel can do the same work which Ravindra Jadeja does on the dry pitches. The former selector said Jadeja is making a comeback after a long break and he should be cautious.
Talking about the wicketkeeper choice Devang Gandhi said,“Bharat has been with the team for a while and he should get his chance. He is a good wicketkeeper and Dravid believes that he can do the job with the bat too. It’s a difficult choice.”