It is finally good news for the India Cricket Team. After being hit on Day 1 of the intra-squad friendly, KL Rahul missed action for 2 days and finally made it to the nets on Sunday. As per reports, the veteran Indian batter spent a good amount of time in the nets practicing hard for the upcoming IND vs AUS 1st Test in Perth.
But it is not easy sailing. In fact yesterday, Shubman Gill fractured his left thumb and is out of the Perth Test. And this has caused a major selection conundrum for the visitors. It is unclear whether Rohit Sharma will travel to Australia and be ready in time for the 1st Test given he became a father just 2 days back.
If not Rahul then who should open?
As things stand, it is unsure if Rohit Sharma will play the first Test. Shubman Gill is out injured. This not only means there is a void in the middle order, but also a void in the opener’s spot. So in such a scenario, the best outcome would be to give a Test debut to Abhimanyu Easwaran.
Even the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devdutt Padikkal can be an afterthought. Both Easwaran and Gaikwad are waiting for their much-awaited Test debut, while Padikkal got his break earlier this year when England toured India.
While the Bengal opener was at the front of the line to open for India, his outings for India A in both the matches against Australia A have left a bitter taste in the mouth of the selectors. The same can be said about India A captain Ruturaj Gaikwad as well. In an ideal scenario, it would be Abhimanyu Easwaran who starts with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Where should KL Rahul bat?
Make no mistake, KL Rahul is an extremely versatile player, if not the most versatile player on the team. He can comfortably bat at any position from number 1 to 6 which makes him a vital asset for the team. But as horses for courses, in this scenario, with Shubmna Gill out injured, KL Rahul should slot in at number 3.
In an alternate strategy, he can also play at number 4 given Virat Kohli moves a spot up. Either way, the addition of KL Rahul down the order brings in more stability to the team and the lower middle order can breathe a sigh of relief knowing they have a solid anchor ahead of them.
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