Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has said that Shubman Gill should have opened alongside Rohit Sharma in the Nagpur Test instead of KL Rahul. Rahul scored just 20 runs from 71 deliveries in the first innings.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 10, 2023 12:16 IST
Gill has been in prime form for India while opening in all formats (Courtesy: AP)
By India Today Web Desk: Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria said that Shubman Gill should have opened alongside Rohit Sharma in the Nagpur Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Gill has been in top form for India in all formats of the game while opening the batting in recent months. The 23-year-old, however, couldn’t get a spot in the playing XI for the first Test against the Aussies.
India’s vice-captain KL Rahul was restored to the top order for the match in Nagpur but failed miserably. The opener could only score 20 runs off 71 deliveries and became the first wicket for debutant Todd Murphy.
Rahul looked uncomfortable throughout the innings and his dismissal brought out an unhappy reaction from his partner and India captain Sharma, who has looked to be in prime form.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda, Kaneria said that he personally felt Gill should have opened with Sharma and said that the youngster deserved the nod over Rahul given his impressive form.
“I personally feel Shubman Gill should have opened with Rohit Sharma. Although KL Rahul is your senior player, Gill is in incredible form and deserved the nod ahead of Rahul,” said Kaneria.
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Kaneria also commented on one of India’s debutants, Suryakumar Yadav, and said it would be interesting to see how the 32-year-old bats on the Nagpur pitch.
The former spinner said that the pitch could work in favour of Yadav, who will play his shots. Kaneria concluded by saying that the Mumbai batter could have a real impact for India in his first Test.
“Interesting to see how Suryakumar Yadav bats on this surface. This could well work in his favor as on such a pitch, you need players who don’t go into a shell and play their shots. With his sweeps and reverse sweeps, Suryakumar can have a real impact.”
