The absence of captain Rohit Sharma and batter Shubman Gill has thrown open a challenge for the Indian team management ahead of the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. India not only has to find an opener to join Yashasvi Jaiswal but also has to find a No. 3 to fill in for the injured Gill. While the names of KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal have been reported for the two spots, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning star Kirti Azad feels head coach Gautam Gambhir should play Virat Kohli at the No. 3 spot.
During the course of his illustrious career, Kohli has opened the batting and batted at number 3 for India in all the three formats. It has, however, been some time before that he has made the No. 4 position his own. But, with Gill missing, Azad perceives Kohli as the most appropriate batter to adopt the one down position.
“There is very little doubt in my mind that Kohli is the best bet for number three. He scores runs at number three (in all formats). And you ought to place your best batter at number three. We start with questioning players if they perform below expectations, for example, in one series, or even in a couple of innings,” Kirti Azad told Times Of India.
And yet, the likes of Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, and some other options are available. Therefore, it comes as a surprise when Azad advocates for Kohli at the No. 3 spot in the line-up, especially considering the poor form in which he finds himself.
“But I suppose he has done a humane service for the country, and we expect him to do well again. And I’m sure he’ll get into form. He likes challenges, though this is a tough one in Australia,” he added.
At this point in time, the Indian side is struggling quite a lot, with Kohli’s form being an issue. He failed to cross the 100-run mark in the last 6 matches played against New Zealand added up. The comforting thing is that the phenomenal batter has managed to score fifty runs only once in his last 10 outings in the most extended version of the game. However, given the circumstances, experts are confident that they will see the old skit of Virat Kohli as India kick starts the Australian campaign with the first of the 5 Tests in Perth.
