India vs Australia: ‘I want to see Ajinkya Rahane at number 4,’ says Gautam Gambhir
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Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane
After a horrible show at the Adelaide Oval, the Indian team management hinted at several changes in their lineup ahead of the next Test. With Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami not playing at the MCG, the visitors have to make two forced changes.
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir also suggested the potential changes that Ajinkya Rahane’s men might make at the Boxing Day Test. Gambhir said that earlier he backed Prithvi Shaw as the opener but now looking at his current form, the southpaw felt Shubman Gill to open the innings.
“I wanted Prithvi Shaw to start the series because if a player has scored a hundred and two fifties in four Test matches and hit a fifty in the last tough tour to New Zealand, then you start with him, no doubt the form was not good,” Gambhir said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports.
“But now in the type of form he is in, more than the form his confidence is very low, so I will want to see Shubman Gill at the top along with Mayank Agarwal and Pujara at number three,” he added.
Rahul and Jadeja also find place in Gambhir’s XI
Gambhir reckoned that India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane must promote himself to bat at number four. Moreover, he suggested dropping Hanuma Vihari and Wriddhiman Saha to play KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja on December 26.
“I will want to see Rahane at No.4. I will not want to see Rahane stay at No.5 because if he is the captain now, he has to lead from the front. So, Rahane should play at number four in place of Virat Kohli,” Gambhir added.
“KL Rahul should play at number five, and Rishabh Pant should play at No.6. Jadeja and Ashwin should play at No.7 and No.8 and then three seamers. I will want to go in with five bowlers,” he signed off.
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Sachin Arora
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