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Was there some kind of discord in the Indian team ahead of the Melbourne Test against Australia? Hours after the fourth Test loss, a startling revelation has come to light. Sources told CricBlogger that KL Rahul was unwilling to bat lower down the order as he felt he was more effective as an opener.
According to sources, there was a conversation between Rahul and a member of the team management, where Rahul was told that if he wasn’t ready to come in at number three, Shubman Gill would replace him in that position. Faced with this ultimatum, Rahul, who had been in good form until the Melbourne Test, had little choice but to accept the change and bat at number three, which was traditionally Gill’s position.
“In the process, Gill was dropped. He could make a comeback soon but just to accommodate a batter who can bowl all these arrangements were carried out,” a BCCI source said from Mumbai while adding that it was skipper Rohit Sharma, who pushed Gill to one-down last year in Test cricket to make Jaiswal a regular opener in the longest format of the game.
As a result, a demotivated Rahul moved down the order, while the opening pair for India was reshuffled, with Rohit Sharma partnering Jaiswal at the top of the order. This shift in the batting lineup came amidst the pressure of the series, where India’s top-order struggles had been a point of concern, and the team management’s decision to experiment with the lineup seemed to be a bid to find a more stable combination.
Unfortunately, the change in the batting combination didn’t yield the desired results, as Rohit struggled to trigger and fuel his retirement talk. Rohit could only manage 12 runs across both innings, bringing his total to just 31 runs from the three matches he has played in the ongoing series.
With a Test still to be played in Sydney, his form continues to be a concern. In comparison, Jaiswal has been a brighter spot for India, amassing 359 runs from eight innings in the series so far, showcasing his promise at the top of the order. Rahul, despite facing criticism for his inconsistent form, has contributed 259 runs from the same number of innings.
While Rahul’s form has been steady, it hasn’t been spectacular, and his position in the batting order remains a point of debate. The contrasting performances of these three openers — Rohit, Rahul, and Jaiswal — have added another layer of complexity to India’s selection and batting order issues as they head into the final Test in Sydney.
Will Rohit come down at No.6 to bring in Gill in place of Akash Deep in the Firth Test? Clearly, there is a lot of confusion and this isn’t getting its combination right.
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