When the opening pair of Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill failed to provide India with a solid start in the opening ODI of the recently culminated three-match series, a lot of Indian cricket fans missed the presence of India's skipper Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. Some even went to the extent of questioning Ishan's promotion to the top and why did the team management back him to open alongside Shubman.
However, the pair made a resounding comeback in the 2nd ODI of the series played at the same venue as the first - Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. India got off to a steady start after the duo put together 90 runs in 16.5 overs before Shubman got out in an attempt to launch left-arm off spinner Gudakesh Motie over long off only to find an alert Alzarri Joseph, who settled underneath it and put an end to Gill's promising knock.
Just like the opening fixture, Ishan got himself a half-century and was the only batter barring Gill who looked in control of his strokes during his stay in the middle. He got out after scoring a run-a-ball-fifty (55 runs off 55 balls), including six fours and a six. It was their partnership that kept the Windies bowlers at bay and the moment they got out the rest of the unit collapsed.
In the series decider at the Brain Lara Stadium in Trinidad, the onus was yet again on the young shoulders of both Ishan and Shubman and they didn't disappoint. It seemed as if they had kept their best for the last as their opening combination set up a new record surpassing the pair of Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan to score the highest opening partnership in ODIs for India vs the West Indies in the Caribbean. They aggregated 143 runs and provided the injection of momentum India needed early in their innings.
With signs of promise and the biggest event of the ODI format around the corner, the pair of Ishan and Shubman can be a potential option for the Indian team management to open the proceedings for team India during the World Cup. If that happens, it will mean that Rohit Sharma will have to slide down the order and there will be a new pair at the helm for India in the ODI circuit.
The latest India TV Poll results also suggest that a vast majority of people want to see the young and dynamic pair of Shubman and Ishan to keep on going at the top. 62% of the people who participated in the poll expressed their desire to see Ishan open alongside Shubman in ODIs going forward instead of Rohit, while 31% still want to see the pair of Rohit and Shubman continue at the top. The remaining seven per cent couldn't decide what to say.
India TV poll result
Should Ishan Kishan replace Rohit Sharma as Shubman Gill's opening partner in ODIs for India?
Yes - 62%
No - 31%
Can't say - 7%
