Former Indian cricketer Dodda Ganesh disagreed with Anil Kumble on KL Rahul opening the innings for India if Rohit Sharma will not be available for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He said Rahul should continue batting in the middle order.
The much-awaited five-match Test series between the Indian national cricket team and the Australian national cricket team is just around the corner. The test series between the teams will be played from November 22 to January 2025.
Rohit Sharma to miss first Test
With the Test series around the corner, there have been several reports stating that India captain Rohit Sharma will not be available for the first Test. Reports claimed that the batsman had informed the BCCI that due to personal reasons, he would be joining the team after the first game.
This will leave a huge void in the Indian team, especially in the first game when the pace of the series will be set. Not only will the team miss the captain, but they will also be left without a quality opener, leaving a huge headache for the team as to who will open.
There will be few options but matching Rohit Sharma’s quality will be a tough task. India will also have two players in the regular XI, Shubman Gill and Rahul, who can act as openers as they have also played the same role earlier in their careers.
Since the last series both players have been batting in the middle order. Shubman Gill was ranked at number 3 and Rahul has been batting at number 5. Along with them, the team is also expected to play a reserve match opener along with them in Australia.
KL Rahul that name is synonymous with change and adaptation to what the team wants – Anil Kumble
With clouds hanging over Rohit Sharma’s participation in the first Test against Australia, Anil Kumble said Rahul should open the innings. He said that the wicketkeeper-batsman is the type of player who adapts to whatever the team wants. Speaking to Jio Cinema, he explained:
“Rohit is not available in the first Test against, there is always KL Rahul, that name is synonymous with change and adapting to what the team wants. Whether you want to open the batting or keep the wicket, Dravid did it, now KL Rahul is doing it.”
Let’s not bother that as a provisional fix: Dodda Ganesh on KL Rahul batting in the middle order
With Anil Kumble suggesting KL Rahul’s name as an opener, Dodda Ganesh was not on the same page as him. He feels that Abhimanyu Easwaran should instead get his Test cap if Rohit Sharma is not available. On his Twitter account, he explained:
“You have appointed KL Rahul as a middle-order bat. Let’s not bother him as a stopgap deal. In Rohit’s absence, Abhimanyu Easwaran should get his Test cap.”
You have named KL Rahul as a middle-order bat. Let’s not disturb that as a provisional agreement. In Rohit’s absence, Abhimanyu Easwaran should get his Test cap #AUSWIN
-Dodda Ganesh Great Ganesh (@doddaganesha) October 16, 2024
Abhimanyu Easwaran has been in top form in the ongoing domestic circuit. He has scored four consecutive centuries in the last four games, and it will not be a surprise if he is on the flight to Australia.