Team India breaks silence on why Shubman Gill missed 4th Test against Australia at MCG: ‘Unfortunately…’

In Adelaide, India couldn’t wait to get Shubman Gill back into their starting XI after the youngster missed the series opener in Perth. Two Tests later, the batsman failed to find a place in the team. What happened in the last two weeks when Gill, India’s designated No.3, was forced to warm up the benches? The answer is finally here. When Rohit Sharma announced at the toss that “Shubman Gill is out,” it came as a shock. More so because many believe that he is India’s next long-term candidate for the captaincy. And how can someone for whom Indian cricket has such big plans not make it into the starting XI?

Simply because the conditions didn’t require it. India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar addressed the team’s decision to drop Gill and instead use Washington Sundar as the second spinner alongside Ravindra Jadeja. In fact, India went to the top with just five frontline specialist batters – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant – followed by three all-rounders in the form of Sundar, Jadeja and Nitish Reddy.

“A lot of the decisions, when they’re made and the process by which they’re made, the communication is always there, transparency is there. It’s obvious that Washy will give us something in the bowling attack when we looked at the pitch.” A variation, especially towards the end when the ball gets old. “We felt like that was an area we wanted to get better in, given how Travis Head and Alex Carey were going, so having an off-spinner gives us that,” Nayar said during the press conference the game.

Will Rohit Sharma open for India?

Gill missed the opening game in Perth due to a broken finger. He returned in both innings of the pink-ball Test, scoring 28 and 31, but failed to turn it into a big score. In the rain-soaked game at the Gabba, Gill was dismissed at 1 in the only innings he took part in, before much of the game was lost and it ended in a draw. Gill’s absence also means Rohit will be back in the top order, with Nayar all but ensuring the captain will return as an opener, followed by Rahul at number 3.

“Yes, Rohit will feature in the order and more likely he will open the innings. Unfortunately for him, the way things turned out, he had to miss out and sometimes I just feel like that’s how it is for a young player. “Such a position, big day, he wants to make a statement, he understands that is the team’s requirement. It’s unfortunate, but I wouldn’t say he fell behind per se, it’s just that he couldn’t find his place in this game,” he added.