Shubman Gill’s use as a bat 5 in the first Test against Australia Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of India’s first Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against Australia in Nagpur, which starts on February 9 and will be played there.
To fully recover from the back injury that kept him out of the white-ball series against New Zealand, Shreyas will require additional rehabilitation time. The injury to the Mumbai batter means that the No. 5 is unfilled, and Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, two candidates, are vying for the position.
Gill, who technically plays opener, is supported by a segment of former cricketers as a potential long-term middle-order option for India in the red-ball format.
In light of this, let’s examine three reasons why Gill ought to bat at No. 5 against Australia in the first Test.
#3 Not disturbing a settled opening combination
However, when Rohit was ruled out with a broken thumb in the two-match series against Bangladesh, they turned to Shubman Gill.
The think tank has a lot of experience playing in Indian conditions, so they wouldn’t want to change the starting lineup. However, Gill’s blistering form, which makes him a front-runner for the No. 1 spot, will also tempt them. 5 spots.
The Punjabi youngster has scored 769 runs in 12 matches in 2023, making him India’s leading white-ball scorer.
#2 Previous experience of playing Test cricket
Given his previous experience playing red-ball cricket at the highest level, Gill appears to be the front-runner in this situation. Additionally, during the 2020-21 tour, he has a respectable record against Australia, scoring 259 runs in three games at an average of 51.80.
Suryakumar has a respectable record in first-class cricket, but he has not yet played in a Test. India’s middle order might be a little weaker if they field a debutant against an elite Australian bowling attack.
#1 Aggressive option in the middle order
Shubman Gill is naturally an attacking batter, so he will make a good middle-order investment. In addition, he is an excellent spin bowler who can come down the track to thwart opponents like Nathan Lyon.
Whoever bats at No. 1 remains to be seen. 5 against Australia in the first Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.