'I Personally Feel India Should Play Suryakumar Yadav in case Shreyas Iyer is Not Fit': Veteran India Wicketkeeper

Veteran wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Karthik feels that India should pick Suryakumar Yadav over Shubman Gill in the middle-order for the first Test match against Australia if Shreyas Iyer failed to recover from his injury in time. Iyer, who was in phenomenal form with the bat last year, missed the New Zealand series due to a back injury. Several reports suggested that it will be tough for Iyer to recover in time for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Nagpur.

Suryakumar and Shubman will be in contention to get a place in the side in case Iyer misses out. Shubman has already played 13 Test matches so far in his career and has already played a couple of crucial knocks for the team including a century, but he has only played as an opener for India in red-ball cricket. While Suryakumar is yet to make his Test debut despite playing 79 first-class matches.

Karthik suggested that the Mumbaikar should get picked in the side as he is a good player of spin which is crucial while batting in the middle-order.

“In case Shreyas Iyer is not fit, there is going to be a toss-up between Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill. I personally feel we should play Suryakumar because he is a great player of spin and we are going to play on some interesting wickets that are going to support spin. Give him the opportunity. He has been in red-hot form,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.

Also Read: ‘Virat Kohli Can Try And be a Little More Aggressive Versus Spinners’

Meanwhile, the glovesman feels that KL Rahul will play as an opener alongside Rohit Sharma as in-form Shubman is expected to warm the match.

“The beauty of Indian cricket right now is that somebody who’s in such red-hot form might not be a starter in a format. I feel that Gill is aware that KL Rahul has obviously had a long lineage and has been around for some time.

“He has done well in tough conditions like those in England. He has not had the best of times in Test cricket in the recent past, but it will still be KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma opening.”

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