Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg picked newly appointed captain Shubman Gill to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Gill started his Test career as an opener but he has been batting at number three in the last Test few matches.
The right-hander has an overall Test average of 35 and he would be determined to turn the tables on England tour. Gill has scored only 88 runs in English conditions in three Test matches at an average of 14.67.
Gill was appointed as India’s new Test captain after Rohit Sharma’s retirement and he would look to lead from the front.
Speaking in an interview with RevSportz, Hogg said, “I’d like to see Nair play a lot more. Shubman Gill will be opening the batting and I’d have him opening the batting with Jaiswal as well, probably. Then you’ve got Pant coming in at six, as I said. You’d have KL Rahul, Nair there. I’d actually have Sudharsan in there as well, coming in at number three. So you’ve got a lot of youth up there.”
“Sudharsan, the way that he played in the T20 games, I just thought he’s got a fantastic technique. Just love the way that he plays the ball late. He’s able to hit those gaps behind point while still playing a straight bat and work off his pads. So I think he’s got an excellent technique for playing the ball late. I’d like to have him opening the batting. You might have Gill at number three, but I still like that right-hand and left-hand combination.”
Hogg backed Sai Sudharsan to find more success among him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal and said the left-hander would bat at one down.
“I think Sudharsan is probably going to be the best bat out of those three going forward. So I think he’s probably best suited at three, or maybe four, and have the experience of Nair coming in at three. Then you have Rahul, Pant and Jadeja coming in that middle order where you’ve got that experience,” said Hogg.
The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.
