Aakash Chopra had a slightly different take from Sanjay Manjrekar when it comes to choosing an opening partner for Rohit Sharma between KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, if the Indian skipper returns for the second Test against Bangladesh, which begins on December 22 in Dhaka.
While Manjrekar opined that it is Gill who will lose his place from Team India’s playing XI if Rohit is fit for selection, Chopra said that Shubman is a big threat for Rahul given his form with the bat.
Former Indian batter further said that Shubman is in great form as he smashed his maiden century in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh, so the young opener could be backed by the side for the second Test, especially keeping in mind Rahul’s failure in Chattogram.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “It is a problem for KL Rahul that he has had two low scores. He got an inside edge in the first innings and got out to the bouncer trap in the second innings. He is an amazing player but with the job Shubman Gill has done, who will go out when Rohit Sharma comes back?”
He continued, “Shubman Gill got out in the first innings but struck 110 runs off 152 balls in the second innings. Whenever you give him a chance, he grabs it with both hands, and gives you a sweet headache, that how will you keep him out?”
Speaking on what makes the 23-year-old Gill special, the former batter noted: “He plays extremely clean. His playing style aligns with white-ball cricket, that his feet and body remain beside the ball and the path is always clean for the bat's downswing.”
He concluded, “He is aggressive by nature and has a very good temperament to play a big knock. He has struck a century and it's the first of many. He can play as an opener on subcontinental pitches, will score runs as well, but when I see him closely, I feel he is a No. 3 or No. 4 batter, for a long, long, long time.”
