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‘When I see footwork, when I see timing…’: Ravi Shastri settles 'Gill vs Rahul' debate before IND vs AUS Test
Ahead of the high octane clash, there has been a huge debate over India's playing XI, and the argument has particularly revolved around KL Rahul and Shubman Gill.
India will lock horns with Australia in the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur on Thursday. Ahead of the high octane clash, there has been a huge debate over India's playing XI, and the argument has particularly revolved around KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. Both Rahul and Gill open the innings, and both experts and fans have weighed in on who should make the cut.
Given Gill's tremendous form in the last two months, which saw him slam centuries in all three formats, his stakes look high at the moment. But with Rahul being the vice-captain, and his experience makes the choice between the two a tough one.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri also shared his views on the same, backing Gill to get a nod in the playing XI. He suggested the same in the ICC Review on Wednesday.
"Shubman or Rahul (selection) depends on the team management, what they think. Obviously, you'd want to go with what you've been doing in the past, but form becomes critical," opined Shastri.
"Someone's hitting it real sweet and it's coming out of the centre of the bat. Then, you know, you wake up, and say, 'listen'," he added.
Talking further on the matter, Shastri seemed to clear the conundrum of dropping vice-captain Rahul. The former India coach said that vice-captaincy shouldn't make Rahul an automatic choice. Instead recent performance should be the parameter to choose the ideal option between the two.
"I've been watching Gill and Rahul very closely in the nets. If it's a hard call; when I see footwork, when I see timing as to who is batting better. If it has to be Shubman ahead of Rahul, so be it. You know, straight. You have to see that. I won't say that Rahul is the vice-captain so he becomes the automatic choice," said the former India captain.
Going into the contest, fans are also perplexed as who would be India's wicketkeeper in the absence of Rishabh Pant. BCCI has picked Ishan Kishan and KS Bharat to do the job and both are yet to mark their debuts in the longer format.
Questions are also being raised over Team India's No. 5 slot in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Speculations are rife that explosive batter Suryakumar Yadav might make the cut for the position.
