Saba Karim wants KL Rahul to bat at No. 5 in the absence of the injured Shreyas Iyer during the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which begins in Nagpur on Thursday, February 9.
The former India coach considers the right-hander to be technically sound and possesses the necessary experience to bat in the middle order. The veteran feels the 30-year-old can easily overcome the challenges of playing spin and rhythm to provide stability to the hitting unit.
Karim also wants Gill to stay in the opening spot due to his sublime form in all formats. Following his century in the first Test against Bangladesh in December, Gill also hit a double ton and two centuries in ODIs. The 23-year-old also slammed his maiden T20I century against New Zealand in the recently concluded series.
Speaking in indian newskarim said:
“Shubman Gill should start because KL Rahul can go down at No.5. It will strengthen our hitting. You will also have time to prepare. They need a technically solid hitter at No.5, that is, when the ball gets old. You need the experience to face cutters and spinners.”
The former Indian cricketer stressed that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy could decide vice-captain KL Rahul’s future in red-ball cricket. Karim wants him to play some match-winning innings as India look to win their fifth consecutive Test series against Australia at home.
“It is a vital series for KL Rahul,” he said. “It could be the turning point of his career. KL Rahul is an accomplished player, technically solid, but he only manages one or two good scores. On top of this, there are a number of low scores. A great player is known for his consistency. KL Rahul should play at least 2-3 winning innings for his team, something we haven’t seen so far”.
The statement came as Rahul returned with 57 runs in the last two Test series in Bangladesh in December last year.
“It’s a big test for him as a captain and as a batsman” – Saba Karim on Rohit Sharma
Saba Karim further explained the importance of Indian captain Rohit Sharma in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. He wants him to play memorable shots as the hosts look to dominate Australia once again at home.
Rohit Sharma’s Top 5 Test Scores.#5 127 vs England at The Oval, 2021.#4 161 vs England at Chepauk, 2021.#3 176 vs South Africa at Vishakapatnam, 2019.#2 177 vs West Indies at Eden Gardens, 2013.#1 212 vs South Africa in Ranchi, 2019@ImRo45Your favorite? https://t.co/3fhH64SVqG
It is worth mentioning that the Aussies last won a Test series in India in 2004/05. The cricketer turned commentator said:
“I hope Rohit Sharma delivers. It’s a big test for him as a captain and as a batsman. The role of a captain is very critical during the Australia series. He will be remembered for a long time if he shows form.”
Rohit has so far scored 408 runs in seven Tests against Australia, including three half centuries.
The Indian team for the first two tests: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (week), ishan kishan (week), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar PatelKuldeep Yadav, Ravindra JadejaMohamed Shami, Mohamed SirajUmesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Suryakumar Yadav.