Ravi Shastri namedrops Virat Kohli's replacement at number four in Tests for England series

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has picked Virat Kohli's replacement at number four in Test cricket. He feels that the newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill should go down on the spot and KL Rahul should bat at number three in the England series. 

India is all set to tour England for the five-match Test series, which will also be part of the ICC World Test Championship. The BCCI recently announced the squad for the series and also announced Shubman Gill as the new captain of the team, with Rishabh Pant being the deputy. 

This will be the first time that India will be entering into the series in a long without the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who recently announced their retirements. Hence, it won't be easy for the team to fill the void left by them, especially with the first series being against England in England. 

India has named a pretty balanced squad but one of the challenging things for them will be to assign a role to each and every batter. The opening and the number four spot are left vacant after the retirements of Rohit and Virat, and the first task for Shubman Gill will be to look for players who can play their roles. 

I would say Rahul at three and Shubman at four - Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli's replacement

However, according to Ravi Shastri KL Rahul should bat at three and young Sai Sudharsan should open the innings. The former Indian head coach also feels that Shubman Gill will be an ideal replacement for Virat Kohli at four. Speaking to ICC, he said: 

"Although I always feel Rahul has played his best when he's at the top. The way he batted in England in the 2021 series was outstanding. Just his discipline, his ability to leave. Even when he started off in Australia, he was excellent. He's the kind who, once he sees that new ball, makes it count, he goes big. 

"You know, he's a hundred-man. And when you look at it, he's the experienced bloke in the team. I'd rather push him there. At most, if you decide Sudharsan’s in the side and should open, there's nothing wrong with having one or two left-handers. Then Rahul drops down to three. I would say Rahul at three and Shubman at four."

The Test series between England and India is all set to begin from 20th July and will conclude on 4th August. It will be an uphill task for Shubman Gill in his first assignment as leader.

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