Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has picked his two openers and a specialist wicketkeeper in the Indian XI for the first Test in Adelaide. The first test which is a Day-Night contest, is India’s first Pink-Ball game overseas.
Speaking to PTI, Gavaskar explained the reason his picks. Gavaskar first picked between Wriddhiman Saha and Rishabh Pant for the specialist wicketkeeper’s role. Then he chose between Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw for the opener’s role.
Sunil Gavaskar said he preferred Pant over a more-accomplished keeper in Saha, as Australian pitches are not so demanding when it comes to keeping wickets.
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“When you are playing on pitches where the wicketkeeper has to stand upto the stumps, where the ball turns out a little bit that’s when you tend to take your best wicketkeeper, in which case Wriddhiman Saha would be the obvious choice,” Sunil Gavaskar explained.
Gavaskar then picked Gill over Shaw for the opener’s role for the first Test. Gill scored a 65 in the second warm-up game to follow up two forty plus scores previously.
Sunil Gavaskar Picks Gill Over Shaw, Pant Over Saha
In the two warm-up games, Gill’s scores — 0, 29, 43, 65 — got better with every knock while Shaw — with scores of 0, 19, 40, 3 — looked out of sorts.
Meanwhile, former Aussie skipper Allan Border also picked Gill over Shaw for the opening slot.
“I’ve been in Sydney the last couple of days, watching the Indian team against Australia A. I was impressed with Gill. I really think he’s got something about him, his technique. I know he’s young so he can play a few rash shots here and there, but he looks a seriously good player, this kid. He would be my pick out of the guys I saw” said the former Australia captain.
He further criticised Shaw’s style of play saying he plays a shot every ball.
“I know you guys (rate) Shaw but it seems to me like he plays a shot-a-ball. Against the new ball, he looks good on flat tracks, but in Australia, you’ve got to be a little bit more watchful about your shot selection,” he concluded saying.
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