Former Opiner Advocates for Gaikwad's Inclusion Amid Batting Conundrum
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has put forward a compelling case for Ruturaj Gaikwad to be called into the Test squad as a potential replacement for the injured Shubman Gill. This suggestion comes in the wake of India's challenging first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, where the team's composition of six left-handed batters was exploited by off-spinner Simon Harmer, who claimed eight wickets.
Injury Crisis and Team Balance Concerns
The situation intensified for the Indian team when Shubman Gill sustained an injury during the Kolkata Test, casting significant doubt over his participation in the upcoming match in Guwahati. With Gill's status uncertain, the team management faces a critical selection dilemma. The available batting replacements on the bench, Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal, are both left-handers. Adding another left-handed batter would mean fielding seven left-handers in the playing XI, a scenario Chopra believes is tactically unwise.
"Just in case he doesn't become available, you will have to play someone. You have Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal sitting outside – two more left-handers," Chopra explained. "You have six left-handers in the XI at the moment. Do you want to go with seven left-handers? You want to change that, maybe."
Why Ruturaj Gaikwad is the Right-Fit Solution
Chopra's advocacy for Ruturaj Gaikwad is rooted in the batsman's current form and technical soundness. He emphasized that Gaikwad is in excellent form, consistently scoring runs for India A in white-ball cricket. Despite not featuring in the multi-day format for India A, his performances in domestic red-ball cricket like the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy have been impressive.
"He is in excellent form. He is scoring runs for India A in white-ball cricket. Don't know why he is not played in the days' format when the India A team plays, but wherever he is playing, whether it's the Ranji Trophy or the Duleep Trophy, he has been scoring the runs," Chopra stated. He also highlighted Gaikwad's versatility, noting that he bats in the middle order and looks technically compact, qualities that make him well-suited for Test cricket.
Chopra also pointed to a positive omen, recalling that the Guwahati ground is where Gaikwad scored a T20I century against Australia. Based on this combination of form, technique, and a good memory at the venue, Chopra concluded, "It seems like he has been made to play Tests... So I am building a case for him that if there is any chance of Shubman Gill not playing, paradrop and bring him in."
