Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Shubman Gill might have to sit out from the 2nd Test against Bangladesh even after the young batter’s hundred in the ongoing 1st Test in Chattogram. Gill got to his maiden Test hundred in his 12th Test as India piled up the runs in the second innings to set Bangladesh a target of 513 runs on Day 3 of the series opener on Friday.
Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the first Test and the final ODI of a 3-match series due to a finger injury he had picked up during the 2nd ODI. Rohit was flown back home to consult an expert in Mumbai and the BCCI said in a statement that a call on his participation will be taken at a later date. The 2nd Test will get underway from December 22.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have been India’s first-choice openers in the recent past in Test cricket and Gill has gotten his opportunities whenever one of the two batters hasn’t been available. Manjrekar said India are unlikely to drop Rahul even as the stand-in captain failed in both Innings of the Chattogram Test, managing 45 runs across 2 innings.
“This guy has got a hundred, he has looked good. Let’s imagine if Rohit Sharma is fit, KL Rahul and Rohit are your first-choice openers, you have to go back to Rohit Sharma. He is your captain. KL Rahul is not getting as many runs as he would like but they are not going to leave KL Rahul out,” Manjrekar told Sony Sports.
“Shubman Gill may have to sit out. Ajinkya Rahane, it happened with him once, I think. It has happened before Indian cricket,” he added.
Manjrekar pointed out that India will not take the call of dropping a bowler to play an extra batter if and when Rohit Sharma returns to the 2nd Test.
“I think overseas, they may have played an extra batter. But here, they will play 5 bowlers. There is enough batting with Axar and Ashwin. If Rohit Sharma is fit, start getting prepared to see a centurion getting dropped.” he added.
