India cricket team batter Shubman Gill is unlikely to be a part of the XI for IND vs NZ 1st Test in Bengaluru after he complained of neck strain on the eve of the match. The batter’s unavailability could pave way for the inclusion of stars who would have warmed the bench otherwise. While Gill’s exclusion would mean a slight tweaking of the batting order for the hosts, there is no shortage of batting firepower.
Who will replace Shubman Gill in IND vs NZ 1st Test
The frontrunner to replace Shubman Gill in the IND vs NZ 1st Test is Sarfaraz Khan. The Mumbai batter will be rearing to get a go after warming the bench for the entirety of IND vs BAN series. The prolific star made his much-awaited and delayed debut in the IND vs ENG series after a phenomenal couple of seasons in domestic cricket. Should Gill be unavailable for the 1st Test in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli can move up to the number three spot while Sarfaraz Khan came come in to bat at his usual position at number four or five.
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Another option for Gill’s replacement could be Dhruv Jurel. Ever since the return of India’s first-choice keeper Rishabh Pant, Jurel has also warmed the bench. The keeper-batter could play as a pure batter in the IND vs NZ 1st Test in the absence of Gill, giving India the much-needed batting depth that will be welcomed. Like Sarfaraz, Jurel too made his debut in the series against England but lost his place in the XI after Pant made his comeback.
The third option for Team India could be the inclusion of Axar Patel, who can be valuable with both bat and ball. If picked, he will join forces with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, making the Indian all-round setup look more formidable.
With India set to play three pacers in Bengaluru, the inclusion of either of the three stars is a high possibility in the absence of Shubman Gill. It remains to be seen who will make the cut.
India squad for IND vs NZ Tests
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
Travelling Reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna
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