New Delhi [India], October 16 : Former India captain Anil Kumble has backed Shubman Gill to excel at the No. 3 spot in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kumble advised against moving Gill to an opener position, even if Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the first Test in Perth.
Shubman Gill, who debuted as an opener in Melbourne in 2020, has opened for India in 17 Tests before transitioning to the No. 3 position in 2023. This shift came after India moved on from Cheteshwar Pujara, allowing Gill to bat lower and letting Yashasvi Jaiswal open alongside Rohit Sharma.
With Rohit likely to miss the first Test due to personal reasons, Kumble suggested that Yashasvi and KL Rahul should open, keeping Gill at No. 3. Gill's notable performance includes a crucial 91 in India's memorable victory in Brisbane in 2021 as an opener.
"You know he (Shubman) is exceptionally talented, skilful and he's done that. He's been to Australia before. Like you mentioned, in Brisbane, he got a wonderful fifty there and he knows the conditions," Kumble said while speaking to JioCinema.
"I don't want to change that. I know there's a temptation to push Shubman Gill because Rohit is not available in the first Test. But, there's always KL Rahul that name is synonymous with change and adapting to whatever the team wants. Whether you want to open the batting or keep wickets, Rahul Dravid did that, now KL Rahul is doing that," he added.
Kumble emphasized that Gill's batting style is different from the more traditional approaches of Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3. He believes Gill's versatility will be key to India's success in the series.
"You said, for the last 25 years, there have been only two players who have been consistently playing and and and it's a tough role. I mean, both those batsmen, Rahul and Cheteshwar, contributed immensely during that period, and you know you have to balance it out. You could probably be batting the second ball of the test match, or you could be batting much later when the conditions are easier," Kumble noted.
"But more often than not, you get in there to control that first session and see off the new ball because we know that the Kookaburra Ball after the 1st 25 hours, the best time to bat is between the 30th over and the 60th over. And that's what these two batters did throughout their careers, ensuring that the team was safe and the four number four, number five and number six batters, came in much later into the lineup so that they could comfortably bat and score the runs," he said.
"So Shubman will have to play that role very specifically in Australia. He may have to change a little bit based on the conditions. He has the ability (to do that) as well," he said while speaking to JioCinema.
This five-Test series, starting on November 22 in Perth, marks the first time in over 30 years that India and Australia will compete in such an extensive series.