Shubman Gill has been in exceptional form across all three formats of cricket, making him a strong contender for the opening batting position in the World Test Championship final against Australia. However, the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, views India’s choice differently. In a recent conversation, Vaughan suggested that KL Rahul should replace Gill as the opener due to his superior proficiency against moving deliveries. The final will be held at the Oval, where the ball is anticipated to exhibit significant movement, so Gill might encounter difficulties adapting to the conditions.
Vaughan expressed, “In English conditions, the only alteration they could consider is bringing in KL Rahul, who handles the moving ball better than Shubman Gill. Shubman is an outstanding young player, but the focus should be on winning that particular cricket match. Forget about past performances; the priority is to select the best XI capable of winning the World Test Championship. When the ball is coming at him in a straight line, Shubman can be a dangerous player. However, I have noticed a few minor technical weaknesses when the ball starts moving, leading to him edging the ball consistently. Since I am not part of the selection process, I’m unsure if the team will make that change (replacing Gill with KL Rahul). However, the team mustn’t base their decision on future matches or the West Indies series; the selection should be made solely for that one crucial game,” as stated by Vaughan during his conversation with Cricbuzz.
