India vs Australia: ‘I would open the batting with Mayank and Rohit’ – Sunil Gavaskar feels Shubman Gill should bat in middle order

India vs Australia: ‘I would open the batting with Mayank and Rohit’ – Sunil Gavaskar feels Shubman Gill should bat in middle order

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal

Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal
Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal

With the return of Rohit Sharma to the Test side, speculations regarding India’s team combination has returned. The swashbuckling opener is all set to open the innings following his heroics during the home series against South Africa. But the million-dollar question is, who will he replace? Mayank Agarwal has been struggling lately and general consensus seems to be to axe him.

But Sunil Gavaskar feels that Agarwal deserves one more shot. Although Agarwal has failed to breach the 20 run mark this series, Gavaskar is insistent to back the ‘quality player.’ The former Indian opener calls for Agarwal and Rohit to open in Sydney. And push rookie opener, Shubman Gill, down the order for the second Test.

“I would keep Mayank Agarwal for the next Test. I know he has not looked good so far but he is a quality player. I would open the batting with him and Rohit Sharma,” Gavaskar said Sony Sports Network.

Not too sure Gill will be successful as an opener

Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill

Gill made an impressive debut as he notched up scores of 45 and 35* in his first two innings. But Gavaskar is not sure if the Punjab batter will be successful as an opening batsman in the format. Moreover, Gavaskar asserts that he batted down the order for India in their victorious 2018 Under-19 World Cup campaign. And feels that he should slide down the order for the second Test. The former Indian batsman adds that Hanuma Vihari should make way for the young batter at number five.

“Despite the fact that Shubman Gill has done so well in this match, I’d look to bat him at No 5 in the third Test. For the simple reason that I’m not too sure that with his approach he would be too successful in the opener’s position.“

“Also at the Under-19 level, if I recall correctly, he was batting down the order, he wasn’t opening the batting. So I think for Shubman Gill, batting at No 5 would be the ideal position. That would obviously mean that Hanuma Vihari goes out of the team and the rest remains unchanged,” Gavaskar signs off.

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