KL Rahul might open in the first Test since Rohit Sharma will miss out due to personal reasons. With just 11 days to go for India’s first Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, coach Gautam Gambhir expressed confidence in KL Rahul to step in as opener, should Rohit Sharma miss out for personal reasons.
Stressing that things weren’t clear over whether captain Rohit Sharma will be available for that opening match in Perth, Gambhir at the departure press conference said, “Look, at the moment there is no confirmation but we guys will let you know exactly what the situation will be. Hopefully, Rohit is going to be available, but everything you want to know, you will before the start of the series,” Gambhir said at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai, adding that Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side should Rohit miss the opener.
Rohit is reportedly set to miss the first of the five-match Test series due to personal reasons. The big question: if not Rohit, then who will open?
Gambhir reckons India have a back-up in KL Rahul, and even if bruised by Scott Boland, the experienced pro can summon the temperament when required. “There is KL (Rahul) there. There’s Abhimanyu Easwaran there. So, we will take a call closer to the first Test match if Rohit is not available. It’s not that there are no options. There are quite a lot of options in the squad,” he stressed.
KL Rahul who was believed to be auditioning for a middle-order role, could now be a back-up opener. And Gambhir said that’s down to his versatility. “That is the quality of the man. That he can actually bat at the top of the order. He can bat at No. 3. And he can actually bat at No. 6 as well. So, you need quite a lot of talent to be doing these kind of jobs as well,” he explained.
Gambhir further emphasised Rahul’s utility to the side across formats and expressed confidence in the all-purpose cricketer to deliver if summoned. “He’s kept wickets in One-Day format as well. So, imagine how many countries have players like KL who can actually open the batting and can bat at No. 6 as well? I feel that if need be, he can do the job for us. Especially if Rohit is not available for the first Test.”
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