Virender Sehwag picks the Indian openers for the Test series

India will take on Australia in the first of the four-match Test series in Adelaide from December 6 and there will be some key decisions to be made by their team management over the playing XI’s selection. One of the crucial areas the visitors have to take a call over is about the opening pair. India have picked three players in their squad who are capable of opening and zeroing down to two among them will not the easiest thing to do.

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has presented his pick for the openers’ slots and it is KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw. The former swashbuckling batsman who has been one of the most prolific openers India have had in the longest format was of the opinion that Virat Kohli’s side should stick to Rahul and Shaw as openers for all four Tests to cement their places in the side even if they failed to impress early on.

KL Rahul failed to score in warm-up game

India are currently playing a four-day warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI in Sydney. The visitors were put into bat by the opponents on Day 2 after the first day was washed out and five of India’s first six batsmen scored fifties while the seventh scored 40. None of those batsmen who scored is named Lokesh Rahul who fell for just three after opening with Shaw (66).

Rahul’s form has been ordinary since his century at the Oval which saved his place for the time being. Although he scored a hundred in his last tour of Australia 2014-15, the talented batsman has failed to deliver so far in this tour with an ordinary T20I series. His failure with the bat in the practice game could dent his chance to make it to the first Test as India have another option in Murali Vijay to assist Shaw in opening.

Sehwag, who scored a scintillating 195 in Melbourne during India’s memorable 2003-04 tour Down Under, was not in favour of giving Murali Vijay a chance for he felt the right-hand batsman got enough chances but couldn’t capitalise on them.

“I think if I am the captain I will give full series to KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw because Murali Vijay got his chance and now he has to wait for his chance again. If somebody flops in eight innings then I will think of giving Murali Vijay a chance. I think those who have been waiting for their turn should get fair chance to prove themselves,” Sehwag was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

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