The Indian cricket team management may choose to play Shubman Gill in the middle order instead of Suryakumar Yadav in the first Test against Australia after Shreyas Iyer's injury ruled the KKR captain out of the 1st Test.
One spot in the Indian batting order will be up for grabs as Iyer will not take the field due to back spasms. The team will have to choose between Suryakumar, known for his brave shots as a middle-order batter, and Gill, who has primarily played as an opener.
Iyer was India's standout batter in their 2-0 series win against Bangladesh in December and has been a reliable player in his short Test career. Gill was previously being considered for the middle order when New Zealand visited India in late 2021, but he ended up opening due to an injury to KL Rahul. Gill has experience as a middle-order batter and was originally trained in that position under Rahul Dravid on India A.
"When New Zealand came to India in late 2021, Shubman Gill was being considered for middle order as KL Rahul was supposed to open with Mayank Agarwal. Then Rahul got injured and Gill opened. Then he got injured again. He was being considered for middle order in red ball," a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI.
Surya's strength against spinners on turning wickets is a factor that works in his favor. Iyer has not fully recovered from his back injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. "In case Nathan Lyon gets to turn his off breaks big, then SKY can dismantle him with his footwork. But against Cummins, Hazlewood, Gill could be a better bet," he added.
The first Test starts on Feb 9 in Nagpur.
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