Sunil Gavaskar selects Rohit Sharma’s opening partner. In recent years, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have been India’s first-choice Test openers. However, due to the latter’s injury, India will be forced to field a backup opener to partner Rohit Sharma in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka. Mayank Agarwal, no stranger to the role, was India’s choice in the first Test. Sparking a debate that former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has weighed in on.
Though Agarwal has performed admirably for India when asked to open in the past. There were some who questioned the decision to have Agarwal open in place of Shubman Gill. Gill has also previously opened for India, with his most notable performances coming during the country’s illustrious tour of Australia last year. Gavaskar, on the other hand, has supported the team management’s decision to select Agarwal over the young Punjab cricketer.
The legendary cricketer believes Gill hasn’t played much in the last few months due to a recent injury. Gavaskar believes that, while he is extremely talented, a player’s form cannot be overlooked during selections.
“He (Gill) hasn’t played any cricket in the last two months.” He didn’t even play in the Ranji Trophy, so if you want to play for India, you need some kind of practice. Without a doubt, he possesses talent. But, in the end, it’s also about form,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
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Sunil Gavaskar: Mayank Agarwal bats like a boss in India
While praising Agarwal, the former cricketer stated that Agarwal is a batter who enjoys scoring big at home and bats like a ‘boss,’ as evidenced by his recent Test appearances in India. Even though the Karnataka cricketer struggles to score in foreign conditions, Gavaskar believes he should be opening for India due to his prolific stats at home.
“And, if you look closely, Mayank Agarwal is always a big scorer in India’s home series.” In India, he bats like a boss, but he doesn’t score runs outside of India. He has at least one big hundred or a double century in home series. As a result, he should undoubtedly open,” he added.
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