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With Virat Kohli opting out of the first two Test against England, the onus is on premier batters KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill to step into the shoes of the former Indian skipper in the upcoming high-profile series. Expecting skipper Rohit Sharma to provide India with fruitful starts, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes opener Yashasvi can establish himself in the five-match Test series against England.
Gavaskar feels Jaiwal will easily settle in home conditions. Since Jaiswal is a left-handed batter, the former India skipper expects the Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener to put himself on the Test cricket map after the England series. Recently picked in ICC’s T20I Team of the Year for 2023, Jaiswal averages above 45 in the longest format for India.
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“Yashasvi Jaiswal will easily settle in home conditions. He’s also a left-hander. I think he’ll establish himself completely in the Indian Test team after this series,” Gavaskar told Star Sports. Gavaskar’s remarks arrived before India confirmed the departure of batting icon Kohli from the first two Tests against England. Kohli will skip the first two tests against England for personal reasons.
‘Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly in Indian pitches’
Talking more about India’s batting lineup in the England series, Gavaskar also shifted his focus on Iyer, who will aim to revive his Test career in the five-game series. Iyer had a quiet series against South Africa. The all-format batter warmed up for the England series by leading the batting charge of Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.
“In the World Cup, Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly in Indian pitches, so I’m hoping he’ll play similarly at No.5 in the Test series. He batted aggressively, was quite watchful at the start and then his stroke-making after reading the pitch was a delight to watch. I hope he’ll replicate that,” Gavaskar added.
Is Iyer’s short-ball problems still a worry?
Iyer has played six innings against SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries. He has recorded forgetful scores of 15 & 19 (Birmingham), 31 and 6 (Centurion), 0 and 4 not out (Cape Town). Iyer’s batting average has also taken a hit in the longest format. Averaging 39.28, the 29-year-old has a century and five fifties to his name. The Mumbai batter scored 707 runs in 12 Tests.
Rahul or Iyer – who will replace Kohli?
India will meet Ben Stokes’ England in the 1st Test of the bilateral at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday. In Kohli’s absence, India can either give the No.4 batting slot to Iyer or versatile KL Rahul will play as a pure batter against England. Kohli’s brief exit can also seal KS Bharat’s spot as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper.
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