Shreyas Iyer

Shubman Gill will lend solidity to the Indian middle-order when a major reshuffle is expected to force struggling Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the Test team. The reshuffle is likely to happen in the wake of India’s shock 1-2 defeat against an unfancied South Africa.

India’s next Test assignment is a two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting February 25 in Bengaluru and at least two middle-order slots will be up for grabs. Rohit Sharma is expected to be fit for that Test series and will take up his opening slot alongside KL Rahul.

Shubman Gill has scored 558 runs so far in 10 Tests averaging 32.82 in his Test career. Shubman Gill has played only 10 Tests and 3 ODIs but is touted as a future star in the making. Shubman Gill didn’t play any of the 4 Tests against hosts England. Shubman Gill was ruled out due to shin splints suffered during the World Test Championship final against New Zealand.

Shubman Gill May Play In Middle Order While There’s A Battle Between Shreyas Iyer And Hanuma Vihari To Take Up The Other Middle Order Slot For Sri Lanka Series

Shubman Gill has mostly played as an opener but it is expected that both team management and the selectors will pick him as a specialist middle-order batter. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s exit from the national side is all but certain. They can only save their places if coach Rahul Dravid puts his foot down and asks the selection committee to give the out-of-form duo one last chance.

But if that happens, it is understandably going to cause a lot of heartburn to all the deserving youngsters, who might feel severely let-down for not getting the break at the right moment in their respective careers.

“I think both Pujara and Rahane will be dropped from the team for the Sri Lanka series. Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will both play,” Sunil Gavaskar said while commentating on India-South Africa series.

“We’ll have to see who plays at number three. Hanuma Vihari may take Pujara’s place and Shreyas Iyer could be number five in place of Rahane, but we will have to see. Nevertheless, I think there will certainly be two spots up for grabs against Sri Lanka,” Gavaskar was also heard saying.

However, team management’s school of thought might just be divergent from the legendary former India opener. The duo of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara brings in the same type of defensive game into play during the past two years. The Indian team will need a free-flowing batter in that middle-order, who has the ability to take the game away in one session.

In terms of skills, technique, temperament, Shubman Gill is the solution to the problem. In fact, had KL Rahul not opted out of the New Zealand home series due to niggle and fatigue, Shubman Gill would have played in the middle-order. If Shubman Gill plays at number five, he can exploit the conditions when the ball becomes old and the attack is tired. Also, he has the range to take on the bowlers when the second new ball will be in operation.

The trickier choice is for the other middle-order slot where Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be locked in an intense battle. Both batsmen have been impressive — Shreyas Iyer in his short two-Test match career and Hanuma Vihari giving his all in every one of the 12 overseas Tests he has competed in his 13 Test match career.

Hanuma Vihari is a defensive player, who brings in technical solidity and a sense of calm which is a pre-requisite in Test cricket, especially as the conditions and flow of the game keep changing. It makes him a good choice for the number three spot as Cheteshwar Pujara’s replacement but if positive intent and x-factor are considered, Shreyas Iyer is certainly a far better choice.

However, the jury is still out on one aspect of  Shreyas Iyer’s batting which the selectors as well head coach Rahul Dravid will be keenly assessing — the Mumbaikar’s ability to handle short balls.

Ajinkya Rahane And Cheteshwar Pujara Needs To Go Back To The Drawing Board And Rectify Their Defects

Ajinkya Rahane, who lost his vice-captaincy before the South Africa tour, scored 136 runs while Cheteshwar Pujara managed 124 runs. Both Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are 33 years old and perhaps need to go back to the drawing board and revisit what they have been doing wrong.

The problem with professional cricketers is that if a technical flaw crops up in midst of a series, rectifying it is tough and they just work their way around that flaw.

It’s a kind of temporary option but with no dedicated off-seasons like what players of yesteryears enjoyed, probably a break from the national team will give them enough time to work on their flaws and come back stronger.

It would have been great had the Ranji Trophy 2022 not been put on hold once again as it would have given them quality match practice and the ability to correct mistakes in live game situations which is always the best option.

If not, they might play for English county but to be fair, county stint during the earlier phase wasn’t of great help to either of them. Therefore, it doesn’t look too bright for the duo as some serious talent is waiting in the wings.

While some changes are expected in the batting line-up, the bowling line-up might also have a few changes as Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will be back if fit. The two Test matches against Sri Lanka will be played in Bengaluru and Mohali from February 25 and March 2, respectively. The two teams will also square off in 3 T20Is.