IND vs AUS Test Series: Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav to compete for Shreyas Iyer’s middle order slot

After Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the series opener due to a back ailment, the Indian team management may contemplate putting Shubman Gill in the middle order ahead of Suryakumar Yadav in the first Test against Australia. If Iyer fails to recover from back spasms, one slot in the Indian batting order will be open, and the option would be between Surya, a career middle order batsman with the X-factor, and Gill, who has typically opened for the national side in Tests.

Iyer, who has been a steady performer in his brief Test career, was India’s standout batsman in December’s 2-0 series win over Bangladesh.

“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 development told PTI.

With skipper Rohit Sharma and vice captain Kl Rahul as the first choice openers, followed by Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli at three and four, respectively, the number five slot becomes highly crucial in the Indian context as that individual is expected to play the second new ball.

Being a Test regular and having started his red ball career as a middle order hitter surely helps Gill’s cause.

“When Rahul Dravid manned India A, Gill had played in middle order in a West Indies A tour where he had a double hundred in one of the Tests. To be fair, he was originally a middle order batter, who was converted into an opener,” the former national selector said.

In case of Surya, his supremacy against spinners on wickets with turn is an important one

“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.

Iyer, who missed the limited overs series against New Zealand, is still recovering from a back injury and is being rehabbed at the National Cricket Academy.

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