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India’s star batters Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are finding it hard to score runs in Test cricket. While Gill’s performance in Test cricket looks poor, especially after him getting the role of the number 3 batter, Iyer too has failed to impress with his last fifty in the format coming more than a year ago. Despite an inferior show from both the batters, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has suggested the selection committee to back them as the team needs their experience.
“A senior player like Virat Kohli’s absence is a massive factor. Over that KL Rahul is also injured. So the team management has plenty to think about. They need to think whether to give a chance to a new player straight away or wait a bit,” Pathan said on the sidelines of the launch of Asian Legends League as quoted by PTI.
“There is no doubt that these two boys (Gill and Iyer) haven’t performed for quite sometime now but it not that they have never performed.”
Kohli, who is unavailble for the first two games, is set to join the team from the third Test.
Meanwhile, India trail 1-0 in the ongoing five-match series against England after losing the first game by 28 runs at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
In case the team management decides to include a new batter, the toss up will be between Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan, who has scored tons of runs in domestic cricket.
“Obviously, there are two new players in the squad — Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz. But the Indian team management doesn’t have Virat Kohli’s service at the moment, so it will be difficult for the team management to blood in a new player straightaway. They would want to back experience,” Pathan explained.
“So it’s a big challenge but looking at the scenario, they might be now thinking of going with experience. Shreyas and Shubman have been there for quite sometime now and have experience, which comes into play in crunch situations.
“I feel the team management will back them because 2-3 experience players are not there in the team,” the former bowling all-rounder added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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