India cricket team are tasked with finding a new opener for IND vs AUS 1st Test in Perth. Amid reports of Rohit Sharma missing the opening game due to personal reasons, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill have been injured during the intra-squad game ahead of the series. While Rahul was struck on his elbow on Friday, Gill suffered a blow to his fingers on Saturday. This leaves India with lack of options to find a suitable replacement for Rohit Sharma.
Who will be India’s opener in place of Rohit Sharma in IND vs AUS 1st Test?
India have very limited options when it comes to replacing Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran are two potential options that the Men in Blue could consider. However, given the failures of both batters in the games against Australia A, it is highly unlikely that India would want them to replace Rohit Sharma as the opener. India’s back-up openers – KL Rahul and Shubman Gill – have also suffered injuries ahead of IND vs AUS series. Their participation in the 1st Test is uncertain and this will force India to look at other options.
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Rohit Sharma had dropped a hint on missing the 1st Test in Perth following the series loss to New Zealand. However, he was blessed with a baby boy on Friday. casting further aspersions on his participation in IND vs AUS 1st Test. While India had considered KL Rahul as a back-up option as opener, it backfired after the batter suffered an elbow injury during the intra-squad match. With Gill hurting his finger as well, India’s best choices have been ruled out.
The focus shifts to Easwaran and Gaikwad, both players who have been waiting for long to make their Test debut for India. In two matches, the Bengal opener has managed to score just 36 runs while Gaikwad has scored just 20 runs. The Indian squad does not have any other specialist opener apart from the above mentioned stars. Both Easwaran and Gaikwad are highly unlikely to make it to the playing XI for IND vs AUS 1st Test in Perth. With less than a week away for the first Test, India are tasked with finding an able replacement for Rohit Sharma, should the Hitman not join the side in time for the Perth Test.
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