IND vs ENG LIVE – KS Bharat Opening Option? India vs Leicestershire LIVE: It seems the WARM-UP match against Leicestershire has given a new OPENING option to team India in form of KS Bharat. In a surprising move, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opted out of opening and sent out KS Bharat to open India’s second innings with Shubman Gill. This sudden change in the order of the Indian lineup has raised speculations as to whether KS Bharat is going to open with Sharma in the fifth test match against England. Follow India vs England LIVE Updates with InsideSport.IN
Why KS Bharat is option for India?
- Shubman Gill is struggling with MOVING BALL in English conditions. In both innings against Leicestership Gill has failed to score big.
- In comparsion KS Bharat has looked composed and assured. In first inninge he scored 70* and in 2nd innings he is still batting at 31*
- Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid is now testing him as OPENER in 2nd innings.
India vs Leicestershire LIVE: KS Bharat in reckoning for opening in 5th Test? Rohit Sharma opts out of opening, sends Bharat in 2nd Innings: Check OUT
India’s opening pair has been a bit of a bother for both Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid. With KL Rahul ruled out of the series with an injured groin, Rohit Sharma is left with a new opening partner in the form of Shubman Gill. Sharma and Gill last played a match together against New Zealand last year.
KS Bharat BACKUP Option? The middle-order traveled with the Indian squad for the upcoming series against England as a backup player. The question that is most certainly pertinent is why is KS Bharat getting more practice when he is a backup option for the squad?
It seems that the Indian team management is keen on checking out how Bharat can be an option to open alongside Rohit Sharma in the fifth test. Rohit Sharma is likely to be a bit bothered when starting with Gill who will be playing his first test match of the year. KS Bharat who played well yesterday against Leicestershire also started well in the second innings.
India vs Leicestershire LIVE: KS Bharat in reckoning for opening in 5th Test? Rohit Sharma opts out of opening, sends Bharat in 2nd Innings: Check OUT
KS Bharat SAVES India in 1st Innings – India’s saving grace in the first innings against Leicestershire was KS Bharat. Coming to bat at no.7, Bharat stitched a wonderful partnership with Virat Kohli and then went on to help India achieve 246 runs at the end of Day 1. He brought his fifty in just 93 balls and then went on to score 70* off just 111 deliveries in a superb knock consisting of 8 fours and 1 six. Bharat got good batting practice in the first innings and now opening to get more practice simply cannot be an experiment!
Shubman Gill had a SHAKY start – The other half of the opening pair, Shubman Gill had shaky proceedings in the first innings against Leicestershire. When hopes were high on the young batter to go on and display fine innings, Gill managed just a 21-run knock before returning back to the pavilion. In the second innings, he looked more comfortable but failed to build on a fine inning. He scored 38 runs off just 34 deliveries where he smashed 8 fours. Whether Gill will open with Rohit Sharma in the fifth test is now the million-dollar question.
India vs Leicestershire LIVE: KS Bharat in reckoning for opening in 5th Test? Rohit Sharma opts out of opening, sends Bharat in 2nd Innings: Check OUT
India’s middle-order STRUGGLES – The first innings saw India’s middle-order faltering and eventually crumbling like a pack of cards. Hanuma Vihari scored 3 runs, Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for a golden duck, and veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara shared the same fate as Iyer. Contrary, the backup batter, KS Bharat ended up being the shining grace and the highest run-scorer for the Indian side. The Indian team management will surely be concerned when the entire middle-order of the Indian batting lineup falters right ahead of an important series.
KS Bharat at No.5 AHEAD of Iyer and Vihari – Yesterday’s antics of KS Bharat will have certainly raised a few eyebrows in the Indian team management. If KS Bharat continues to perform in this fine order, then he can be promoted up the order and start at no.5 right behind Kohli and Pujara. This move would mean the Bharat gets precedence over both Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer.
India vs Leicestershire LIVE: KS Bharat in reckoning for opening in 5th Test? Rohit Sharma opts out of opening, sends Bharat in 2nd Innings: Check OUT
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