Former India captain Anil Kumble feels Shubman Gill is well-suited for No. 3 and that he was, at the same time, also benefiting from the experience of playing in Australia. Kumble still wants the team not to get tempted and keep him opening batting in the absence of Rohit Sharma for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gill made his debut as an opener in Melbourne in 2020 and went on to play 17 Tests in that role but moved to No. 3 in 2023, promoting himself into the team to help fill the vacant slot when alternatives to Cheteshwar Pujara were sought by the side. Gill moved down the order to make room for Yashasvi Jaiswal to take up the opener’s role with Rohit Sharma.
“You know he (Shubman) is exceptionally talented, skilful and he’s done that. He’s been to Australia before. Like you mentioned, in Brisbane, he got a wonderful fifty there and he knows the conditions,” Kumble told the broadcasters during Day 1 of the Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 16.
Anil Kumble Endorses KL Rahul As The Opener In Rohit Sharma’s Absence
“I don’t want to change that. I know there’s a temptation to push Shubman Gill because Rohit is not available in the first Test. But, there’s always KL Rahul that name is synonymous with change and adapting to whatever the team wants. Whether you want to open the batting or keep wickets, Rahul Dravid did that, now KL Rahul is doing that,” he said.
With reports that Rohit may be missing the first Test of a five-match series against Australia in Perth for personal reasons, Kumble proposed that India could open with Jaiswal and KL Rahul, keeping Gill at No. 3. Contributions made by Gill have already had a telling impact, emphasized by his match-winning 91 during India’s historic victory in the Brisbane Test in 2021.
Maintaining A Balance Very Crucial For Team India
“You said, for the last 25 years, there have been only two players who have been consistently playing and and and it’s a tough role. I mean, both those batsmen, Rahul and Cheteshwar, contributed immensely during that period, and you know you have to balance it out. You could probably be batting the second ball of the test match, or you could be batting much later when the conditions are easier,” Kumble said.
“But more often than not, you get in there to control that first session and see off the new ball because we know that the Kookaburra Ball after the 1st 25 hours, the best time to bat is between the 30th over and the 60th over. And that’s what these two batters did throughout their careers, ensuring that the team was safe and the four number four, number five and number six batters, came in much later into the lineup so that they could comfortably bat and score the runs.“
The very style of batting preferred by Gill will be different from the traditional approach what Rahul Dravid and Pujara adopted at No. 3, and the very flexibility and adaptability which has almost marked his career so far till now will be the point of difference for India to achieve success in Australia.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Full Schedule
First Test: November 22-26: Perth Stadium, Perth
Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne
Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney
