Aakash Chopra names an appropriate replacement for Virat Kohli in Test matches against Australia

The Indian cricket team is going strong in the ongoing India tour of Australia. After losing the One-Day series by 1-2, the Men in Blue registered a comprehensive victory in the T20I series by 2-0 after winning the second T20I by 6 wickets at Sydney Cricket Ground on December 6, Sunday. The two cricketing superpowers will now be up against each other in the last T20I of the series on December 8 in Sydney.

However, the Indian team can face problems in the four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy, starting from December 17 in Adelaide. The Indian team skipper Virat Kohli will leave for India after participating in the first game to be with his wife Anushka Sharma during the birth of their first child. This is a massive blow for the visiting nation as Kohli forms an integral part of the squad and is irreplaceable in the purest format of the game.

Former Indian opening batsman and cricket analyst Aakash Chopra opined on the players who can be potential replacements for Kohli at Number 4 slot. The veteran cricketer believes Shubman Gill or KL Rahul can be an able replacement for the Indian skipper. However, he also feels that the Indian team might have to change their opening duo of Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw if the latter fails to perform with the willow.

Aakash Chopra believes that India needs to change its opening pair in Tests

“Kohli will leave after the first Test and who will replace him? But there is a slight catch – about who will be opening in the first Test match, whether it will be Prithvi Shaw or KL Rahul will get his chance there itself,” said Chopra in his recent YouTube video.

Aakash picked Shubman Gill ahead of wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul as he feels that Gill would be a better option in the middle-order while Rahul can replace Shaw if he fails to perform in the top-order.

“If you are looking to bat someone in the middle order, I feel Shubman Gill should get the nod ahead of KL Rahul,” he added.

Notably, both Gill and Shaw are a part of the ongoing first Practice Test match at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney between India A and Australia A led by Ajinkya Rahane and Travis Head respectively. Shaw and Gill opened the innings for India but both the batters failed to score even a single run as they got out on a duck.