Ahead of the first Test against the West Indies in Dominica, Captain Rohit Sharma made a significant announcement, revealing that Yashasvi Jaiswal would open the innings alongside him, while Shubman Gill would come in at No. 3.
Sharma also mentioned that Gill himself had expressed his desire to bat at the number three position. This decision raised eyebrows as it is uncommon for players to request specific batting positions in Indian cricket.
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the matter, acknowledging the difficulties faced by openers in Test cricket. Chopra admitted that he had anticipated Gill batting lower in the order at some point in his career.
'Shubman Gill told team management that he wanted to play at No. 3. It's a very interesting thing, because you don't usually hear such things happening in Indian cricket. You don't see a player telling team management that he likes to bat in a particular position,' Chopra said on his official YouTube channel.
'Neither does anyone make that request, nor anyone is given that luxury. But the good thing is Yashasvi Jaiswal can now open.'
Chopra further explained the challenges of being an opener, particularly in away matches.
'But in Test cricket, if there's one difficult job, it's that of a opener. Especially away from home. No.3 is still a challenging spot, but no.4 is the most settled spot and you usually keep your best batter in that spot. You don't want him to bat with the tail.'
'Shubman at No. 3, I'm not surprised. I tweeted in 2020 that he would play long for India but in few years time, you would see him batting in the middle. Now, he has himself expressed that wish,' he said.
