KL Rahul’s form in test cricket has become a matter of concern for the Indian team management and fans everywhere. Rahul’s struggle at the top of the order, be it T20Is, ODIs or test matches, has hurt India considerably. In the ongoing Border Gavaskar series 2023 as well, Rahul has not looked in his best touch which has exposed the Indian middle order early against one of the best bowling attacks in the world. His failures have brought out a burning question to the fore once again – should Gill be given a chance ahead of KL Rahul in the upcoming 3rd test match of the India vs Australia test series?
Many cricket experts and fans are shouting their lungs out for the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the Indian test-playing XI in the place of KL Rahul for a while now. In addition to Gill, several other players are in contention but Gill looks like the most obvious choice from the outside due to his recent form. Gill has been in magnificent touch since the turn of 2023 where he has been part of the Indian limited overs setup mainly. It seems logical that Gill should be made part of the Indian test squad as well to help his team benefit from his purple patch.
It is to be noted that former Indian cricketers like Kapil Dev and Venkatesh Prasad also criticized KL Rahul for his poor batting performances a few days ago. However, the current Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour was seen showing confidence on KL’s coming back to form shortly.
The India vs Australia 3rd test match will be played in Indore, after it was moved from Dharamsala, from March 01 onwards. It remains to be seen if the team management decides to rest Rahul for the 3rd test match and provide Gill with another lease in test cricket. However, it is also evident that Gill might still have to wait for his chance in the Indian test squad as both the team management and skipper have put their weights behind the underfiring KL Rahul. The question is, for how long?