New Delhi [India], : With the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series fast approaching on November 22, discussions around India's playing XI have intensified, especially with the uncertainty surrounding skipper Rohit Sharma's availability due to personal reasons. If Rohit misses out, it would raise questions about the composition of India's top order. If Rohit becomes unavailable for the first Test, India has several options for the opening positions.
Veteran KL Rahul and young batter Abhimanyu Easwaran are likely candidates to join Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. However, former coach Ravi Shastri believes that promoting Shubman Gill India's regular No.3 batter to open might be the best option, especially considering the likely bouncy conditions at Perth.
"That's a tough one and selectors have a choice," Shastri said on a recent episode of ICC Review. "You can push Shubman back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia," he added, as quoted by ICC. "Otherwise, you'll have to then make an alternative.
Easwaran hasn't done that well . But it's how he's batting in the nets, how Rahul is batting in the nets. But that Shubman Gill option is also there," he said.
Shastri, who guided India to their last Test series win in Australia in 2020/21, is known for his preference for selecting players who show strong form in the nets leading up to a match. He stated that he would closely monitor all the batters vying for a spot in the XI if he were still in charge.