Virat Kohli retired from the Test format following which ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed new skipper Shubman Gill as the perfect fit to take the No. 4 position in the batting lineup for the forthcoming Test series against England. Kohli, who took up that role following Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, became the cornerstone of India’s batting lineup for more than a decade. Now, his exit creates a gap that the team has to fill with all urgency.
The No. 4 slot vacancy has evoked general debate among cricket experts and fans. Though Karun Nair recalled to the Test team after eight years has been mentioned as one likely replacement, Shastri feels it’s Gill who deserves to take up the high-pressure job, both as skipper and as a key in the middle order.
Listing his preferred opening order for the first Test, Shastri supported KL Rahul to come back as an opener in combination with the talented Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rahul’s recent outings in English conditions and his experience bolster his chances at the top. With Shubman Gill shifting down the order, the No. 3 position, which was held by him, is vacant.
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“It would be (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, and with him will be KL Rahul, because I think this is a big tour for him. He’s the most experienced of the batsmen,” Shastri said in the ICC Review.
“He (Rahul) opened last time when India toured England, got a hundred, (and) had a good tour. So I would hope for him to open the innings.
“Three, I’ll go with the youngster, Sai Sudharsan. Whatever I’ve seen of him he’s very impressive. This will be good exposure for him, this tour.”
For that position, Shastri has picked B. Sudharsan as his man. The 23-year-old southpaw is on a roll—becoming the youngest ever batter to score over 700 runs in a single IPL season and then carrying that form into first-class cricket with impressive returns. The England series, as per Shastri, is a golden chance for Sudharsan to establish himself in the red-ball team at a particular spot.
“In all probability, depending on what current form is, it’ll be Karun Nair. He bats at five, it’s a long time since he played for India. Six will be (Rishabh) Pant.
“I think he (Nair) has worked really hard. He’s just worked his way back into the side. The number of runs he’s got in first-class cricket is incredible.
“And I met him during an IPL game. I said, ‘don’t just bang the door. Just kick it down and make your way in and walk into that side’. And I think he’s done just that. Just the number of runs that he’s got has made the selectors look in that direction and give him a place,” Shastri added.
Gill’s promotion to No. 4, Shastri indicates, is not merely a tactical realignment but also a testament to his increased leadership roles and maturity as a batter. It’s a position of legacy weight, but one Shastri feels Gill is capable of shouldering.
The first Test of the five-match series gets under way on Friday, June 20 and promises to mark the beginning of a new era in Indian cricket. With Shubman Gill captaining the team for the first time in the longest format, and perhaps following Kohli into the job as captain and No. 4 batter too, the focus will be squarely on how this young group of players handles the challenge.
