Rohit at 3, Gill at 5? BGT great Cheteshwar Pujara names India’s batting order for Adelaide Test | Cricket News
Cheteshwar Pujara has listed his own batting order for Team India for the next Test match against Australia and to some extent, it is indeed surprising. Rohit Sharma will return to the XI while Gill remains a possibility.
Cheteshwar Pujara is one of the Hindi commentators for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. (Photo – X)
New Delhi: After winning the Perth Test, India are eyeing the next Test scheduled in Adelaide, a day-night affair played with the pink ball and starting on December 6. Now that reinforcements have arrived for India in the form of regular skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill (if fit till the game), India’s batting order is giving a headache to the Indian fans and several cricket pundits have opined on what India should go ahead with.
India’s Test stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara, who is currently serving as a commentator for the broadcaster of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and an expert as well, has listed his own batting order for Team India. He thinks Gill and Rohit should get in the XI straightway but is of the opinion that the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul shouldn’t be disturbed.
“I think, for some reason if we can carry on with the same batting order, like KL and Yashasvi to open, Rohit could come in at three, and Shubman could come in at five. If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at no. 3. Nothing later than that. I think he has to bat top of the order, because it suits his game really well. I hope we don’t tinker around with that,” Pujara, who has 7195 international Test runs to his credit, spoke with ESPNcricinfo.
Where to slot Gill, Pant?
Devdutt Padikkal, who had a mediocre outing in the Perth Test, is expected to make way for the new batters. Now that Pujara’s top 4 is sorted including Rohit, Jaiswal, Rahul and Virat Kohli at no. 4, where does Gill slot in if he gets fit for the game in time?
“Ideally No. 5. Because it allows him to come in at a time, even if we lose two wickets early, he is someone who can negotiate the new ball,” Pujara felt. He added that if Gill walks in after 25 or 30 over, he can play his natural game and in case India lose the top three early, Gill will walk in and save Rishabh Pant for the old ball. Pujara said he doesn’t want Pant to face the new ball as the ball remains hard and new.
This means Pant, who came to bat at no. 5 in Perth would shift to no. 6 and Dhruv Jurel a spot down at 7. For allrounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, Pujara feels any spot is good for them below that.
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