Australia vs India: Sunil Gavaskar names 3 players who should be included in the XI for the 1st Test

Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his opinions on the playing XI that the visiting team should field the first Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Considering recent form and their promising performances, he has asked the team management to consider selecting three players who might have not necessarily cemented their spots in the team yet. All the three players grabbed their opportunities in the recently concluded Test series against the Windies.

They were exceptional in their own rights and seemed to have impressed Sunny G quite a lot. Hence, the legend bats for youngsters Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw as well as Umesh Yadav to be included in the playing XI. He has heaped a lot of praise on the wicketkeeper-batsman. He said that he wants to see Pant being given a long run in the team. He further added that the 20-year-old is someone like an Adam Gilchrist or Quinton de Kock. Gavaskar said that he can take the game away from the opposition.

Sunil Gavaskar feels sorry for Wriddhiman Saha

“Looking at the way Rishabh Pant has settled in the team, I wouldn’t disturb the combination at all. He can be someone like Adam Gilchrist or Quinton de Kock to come down the order and if four wickets have fallen early, to take the game away from the opposition. So, that has to be encouraged. He can be destructive. If there is an Ajinkya Rahane or Virat Kohli at the other end, that’ll be an absolutely deadly combination,” he told India Today.

The former captain opined that the keeping of Pant will improve as he plays more games. He added that keeping to Ashwin and Jadeja will improve the quality of the 20-year-old’s glovework. However, he felt unfortunate for Wriddhiman Saha. “Unfortunate for Wriddhiman Saha, but with current form and performance he slots into the XI straight away,” Gavaskar further said.

“This is a dream start of the young man. He couldn’t have asked for a better start and he deserves it. He has been making adjustments and sure he won’t find it easy in Australia. Nobody finds it easy, but he is hungry for runs and hungry for hundreds,” Gavaskar said when asked about Prithvi Shaw.

He further added that being in the Indian dressing room will help the duo of Pant and Shaw a lot. The former opener considers them quick learners and also wants them to maintain their work ethics.

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