KL Rahul and Hanuma Vihari are in consideration for England Tests after Shubman Gill's injury
KL Rahul and Hanuma Vihari are in consideration for England Tests after Shubman Gill's injury
July 02, 2021 Author : ch799
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the opening Test match, giving the Indian squad a setback
even before the first ball was struck in their five-match Test series against England. This
is a significant setback for the 21-year-old, who looked in great form while playing in the
World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand.
On the other hand, Team
India has a backup option in KL Rahul and Mayank Agrawal. Apart from that, the team boasts
Hanuma Vihari at number six, who is a specialist hitter. The management and skipper Virat
Kohli have long praised Vihari's ability as a good hitter inseam and swing conditions. The
right-handed hitter has opened in the past and could be a viable choice against James
Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Given that Rahul is now regarded as India's middle-order
batsman in white-ball cricket, Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri may opt to keep him in that
position and test Vihari at the top.
Certainly, Gill's injury at such a critical time
has caused the management to rethink its strategy. With Agarwal as a possible replacement
for Gill, the coach and captain may consider dropping Vihari or Rahul down the order. If
they want to include both, Agarwal will be unable to return to the team.
Gill's
injury has turned out to be a gift in disguise for the three players who have been yearning
to get into the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old is gutted that he didn't have
the chance to open the innings against England.