Former India skipper Anil Kumble has expressed his thoughts on who should open for India in Australia's forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy if Rohit Sharma is absent for the first Test in Perth.
The former India head coach believes KL Rahul is the best prospect to move up in such a situation, and he expects Shubman Gill to flourish at No. 3.
With Rohit set to miss the first Test for to personal reasons, Kumble suggests that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rahul start, with Gill at No.3.
Kumble believes this combination will maintain balance because Gill has adapted nicely to the one-down position. Gill's remarkable spell as an opener includes a critical 91 in India's historic win in Brisbane in 2021.
Gill debuted as an opener for India in Melbourne in 2020 and played 17 Tests before moving to No. 3 in 2023, demonstrating his mobility throughout the top order.
"You know he (Shubman) is exceptionally talented, skillful and he's done that. He's been to Australia before. As you mentioned, in Brisbane, he got a wonderful fifty there and he knows the conditions.
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, and now KL Rahul is doing that," Kumble said on JioCinema.
Kumble underlined Gill's batting style, which contrasts with the more traditional tactics of previous No. 3 stalwarts such as Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Kumble believes India will gain from his ability to swiftly adjust to changing match scenarios. With the series set to be extremely competitive, Gill's explosive strokeplay and versatility could give India the advantage they need in the difficult Australian conditions.
"You said, for the last 25 years, there have been only two players who have been consistently playing, 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 noted.
"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," he said.
"So, Shubman will have to play that role very specifically in Australia. He may have to change a little bit based on the conditions. He has the ability (to do that) as well," he further said.
The five-Test series will begin on November 22 in Perth.
