KL Rahul‘s form slump has seen him being dropped from the playing XI for the third Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian opener has faced a lean spell for some time now, including scores of 22, 23, 10, 2, 20, 17, and 1 in his last seven innings. His only half-century in 2021 thus far came in January against South Africa in Johannesburg and the last time he reached three figures was way back in December 2021, also versus the Proteas.
Young Shubman Gill will replace KL Rahul in the side, having been consistently impressive in domestic cricket. It remains to be seen whether or not Rahul can regain his form during this challenging period of inconsistent cricket. Shubman Gill is a youngster who has taken the Indian Test Cricket scene by storm. Not only is he one of the few Indian cricketers to have a ton in all formats, but he has also most recently scored a double century in ODIs. His Test record stands out, scoring 736 runs in 13 Tests with one century and four half-centuries.
The captain, Rohit Sharma, also considered him an asset to the team and chose him to replace Rahul for the last two matches against Australia. It is clear that coming from domestic cricket over the last few years and transitioning into national cricket has been easily accomplished for Shubman Gill, and his form proves it!
The Indian cricket team has high morale in their dressing room, and with confidence in their skills, they have a positive outlook on their upcoming match. Coming from an impressive performance in their previous two games, the team is looking to replicate their momentum, and they expect that they can go away with a win.
Rohit Sharma has made two changes to the lineup to bolster these chances further: Ishan Gill is replacing KL Rahul, and Umesh Yadav is replacing Shami due to rest. Additionally, Sharma spoke about adapting to the new surface, which appears slightly dryer than what they’ve encountered before. With such vital adjustments and preparations, let’s hope India can make it to back-to-back WTC Finals!
