October 22, 2024: Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that if Shubman Gill is fit for the second Test against New Zealand, KL Rahul should sit out.
Gill missed the first Test in Bengaluru due to neck stiffness, and India suffered a rare home defeat to New Zealand, losing by eight wickets. KL Rahul, who batted in the middle order, failed to make an impact, scoring 0 and 12 in both innings, continuing his inconsistent run in Test cricket.
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Manjrekar, in an interview with ESPNCricinfo, suggested that if Gill is fit, the team management should bring him in and leave out Rahul. However, if Gill remains unavailable, Manjrekar proposed that KL Rahul should move up to the number three spot to allow Virat Kohli to return to his preferred number four position. Kohli’s stats are much stronger at number four, where he averages 52.53 in Tests with 25 centuries, compared to an average of 23.85 in the few times he has batted at number three.
KL Rahul’s recent Test form has been disappointing, with an average of 25.70 since 2022, and his main success in the format has come as an opener. In contrast, Shubman Gill has been in excellent form when available, and his potential return would strengthen India’s top order.
For the second and third Tests, India has also added all-rounder Washington Sundar to the squad, following his impressive performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Sundar’s inclusion adds depth to both batting and bowling options, making India’s lineup more versatile.
India’s squad for the second Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
