It looks like Prithvi Shaw will be Mayank Agarwal's opening partner in the first Test, reckons Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that Prithvi Shaw is the most likely candidate to open alongside Mayank Agarwal in the opening Test against Australia, starting December 17 at the Adelaide Oval. KL Rahul wasn’t included for the Day-Night warm game at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Chopra reckons that he might not make the cut for the Adelaide Test.

In the pink-ball practice game, Shaw was Agarwal’s opening partner with Shubman Gill, batting in the middle order. In the first innings. Shaw managed a 29-ball 40 before he perished cheaply in the second. As per Chopra, one of Shaw and Gill should be picked as Agarwal’s partner and he backed the former for the same.

It’s a two-horse race between Shaw and Gill, feels Aakash Chopra

“KL Rahul was not played which means that he is probably not in the Indian team’s thinking at the moment,” Chopra was quoted as saying on his official YouTube channel.

“Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill both got a chance to play. This means that it is now a two-horse race between them on who will open with Mayank Agarwal. Both scored almost the same number of runs but then there is another innings coming,” he stated.

“It looks like Prithvi Shaw will be Mayank Agarwal’s opening partner in the first Test match because he is sent ahead while Shubman Gill is at No.3,” Chopra quipped.

“Since Mayank Agarwal got out early, Shubman Gill came almost at the start. So, it seemed like he is playing as an opener itself. So, it became an almost even playing field for both the batsmen,” Chopra added. In the first innings, Gill also got a handy 58-ball 43.

As far as the warm-up game is concerned, The Indians managed 194 in their first innings, mostly due to Jasprit Bumrah’s 57-ball 55. Thereafter, the visitors bowled the hosts out for 108 in a mere 32.2 overs.

India only used their four fast bowlers, namely Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Bumrah. While writing the report, India had lost Gill, who notched 65 off 78 balls and had Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari in the middle.