New Delhi [India], November 15 : With the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series fast approaching on November 22, discussions around India's playing XI have intensified, especially with the uncertainty surrounding skipper Rohit Sharma's availability due to personal reasons. If Rohit misses out, it would raise questions about the composition of India's top order.
If Rohit becomes unavailable for the first Test, India has several options for the opening positions. Veteran KL Rahul and young batter Abhimanyu Easwaran are likely candidates to join Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. However, former coach Ravi Shastri believes that promoting Shubman Gill--India's regular No.3 batter--to open might be the best option, especially considering the likely bouncy conditions at Perth.
"That's a tough one and selectors have a choice," Shastri said on a recent episode of ICC Review.
"You can push Shubman (Gill) back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia," he added, as quoted by ICC.
"Otherwise, you'll have to then make an alternative. Easwaran hasn't done that well (for India A in Australia). But it's how he's batting in the nets, how Rahul is batting in the nets. But that Shubman Gill option is also there," he said.
Shastri, who guided India to their last Test series win in Australia in 2020/21, is known for his preference for selecting players who show strong form in the nets leading up to a match. He stated that he would closely monitor all the batters vying for a spot in the XI if he were still in charge.
"I used to always watch footwork as a coach," Shastri said.
"Sometimes runs are not important, but if a player is moving well, and if the feet are moving nicely, and you try and understand his game and you realize if he has the game for those conditions, if he has the right kind of shots for those kinds of pitches. These are the things you've got to look at when you start picking a side overseas," he said, as quoted by ICC.
"It's horses for courses in many ways. Most of the team will pick themselves, but there'll be one or two cases where you might have to just go and dig deep and go with gut feeling. I would be watching them like a hawk in the nets, the batters and the bowlers, because for me as a bowler, rhythm is important. And as a batter, again, tempo and rhythm is important," Shastri noted.
Rishabh Pant remains a certainty for the wicketkeeper role, but Dhruv Jurel has made a compelling case for selection with his performances for India A. Jurel scored 80 and 68 in a recent low-scoring match against Australia A at the MCG, impressing Shastri with his composure and skill. Shastri believes the 23-year-old could earn his fourth Test cap in Perth.
"I think he can easily play as a (specialist) batter," Shastri said, as quoted by ICC.
"What impressed me most was his temperament, his calmness when the chips were down and the tightness he brought to his game - especially under pressure. Under pressure, you can see a lot of players struggling. You can see them being fidgety. You can see them being all over the shop. You can see those nerves coming through. But in this guy's case, his temperament stood out," he said.
"Whenever the chips were down, even in that series against England (earlier this year) he stepped up to the plate. So I like what I saw and I'll be quite prepared to give him a go if he's in good nick. I think seeing his form, he got 80 and 60, will do his confidence a world of good . And he's got the range of shots as well. It's not that he's just a blocker there, he can play shots. He can bat with the tail as well. See, that's why it becomes important. If you push Shubman up the order, it gives you more options in the middle order. So that's how India could look to balance it if Rohit is missing," he noted.
When it comes to spin, Shastri, a long-time supporter of Ravichandran Ashwin, acknowledged that India has several strong spin options. However, with the conditions in Perth in mind, Shastri believes only one specialist spinner is necessary, and he feels that Ravindra Jadeja might be preferred over Ashwin for the Test.
"I would go with one spinner," Shastri suggested, as quoted by ICC.
"I was in Perth last year when Pakistan played Australia. And in those conditions, to have two spinners is a luxury. You need pace because that track has pace and bounce. And you need the bowlers to exploit it and keep the pressure on the batsman. Because even if you're talking of spin, you use them sporadically. It was always a tough choice, even when I was the coach," he said.
"For which one to pick now, Ashwin or Jadeja. So then again, it's current form over there. Jadeja brings a lot to the table with his fielding as well as batting. So he would get the edge more often than not overseas. But it's again how they see it and what the form looks like in the nets," he added.
With Mohammed Shami still recovering from injury and not part of the touring party, India faces a crucial decision in choosing which two fast bowlers will support Jasprit Bumrah in the seam attack. Mohammed Siraj, who made key contributions in the World Test Championship final against Australia last year, is expected to feature. Shastri suggests that Akash Deep, a promising but inexperienced right-arm pacer, could be given the first chance, with Nitesh Reddy also being considered as an option.
"I think the three I would pick straight away is Aakash Deep, (Mohammed) Siraj and Bumrah and then they (selectors) have to see the balance," Shastri said, as quoted by ICC.
"Do they want two spinners? Do they want to risk going in with two spinners or do they want to take Nitesh Reddy? Nitesh Reddy will have to do a job like Shardul Thakur did as the fourth seamer. He can bat a bit, give the bowlers a little bit of respite so that they can bowl in short spells...and be someone who will have to be good for those eight to 10 overs that he bowls. So that would be my pick, seeing the conditions," he added.
Ravi Shastri's predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.