Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Ishan Kishan - who should open the innings for India in 1st ODI vs Australia?

The excitement levels are through the roof as the 2023 World Cup in India is only a fortnight away, with the players of all participating teams making a last push to be part of the final squad for the mega event.

Team India are no different, as they have a few selection issues to ponder over in the next week before announcing their final 15-member World Cup squad by September 28. The upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia could be the ultimate decider regarding the finalized roster, possible batting positions, and team balance.

While the final ODI will boast all the players from the initially announced provisional World Cup squad, the first two ODIs will continue to be an experimenting phase for the Men in Blue.

This is evidenced by the team management resting key figures like skipper Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and primary spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the opening two games.

Most of the discussions post the squad announcement for the Australia series has been around the surprising return of Ravichandran Ashwin and his battle with Washington Sundar for a potential spin-bowling all-rounder spot.

However, there is also a brewing conundrum on who should open the batting between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan for Team India in the first ODI against Australia. While Gaikwad is set to captain the Indian side in the upcoming Asian games that will run parallel to the World Cup, Kishan was recently part of India's Asia Cup triumph.

Let us break down the possible cases with each of the two batters opening based on numbers and keeping the upcoming World Cup in mind.

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#1 Ishan Kishan gets the nod purely on numbers as opener

Kishan and Gaikwad have opened the batting for India in colored clothing.

Judging purely by the numbers opening the batting between Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, the decision is a no-brainer and straightforward. While the 25-year-old Kishan has opened the batting for India in ODIs with tremendous success, Gaikwad has never opened in his only two ODI games.

The southpaw averages almost 75 in seven innings as an opener at a strike rate of over 125, with the breathtaking 210 against Bangladesh coming at the position. Gaikwad has opened the batting in T20Is for India, but without much success, with a 23.55 average in 11 games.

His success as an opener has stemmed from his incredible success in domestic cricket, particularly the IPL, where his exploits have been vital to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) winning the title in 2021 and 2023.

In those two years, the 26-year-old scored 635 and 590 runs with an average of almost 44 and a 142 strike rate.

Yet, it is undeniable that the numbers opening the batting in ODIs are heavily tilted towards Kishan.

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#2 Ishan Kishan opening the batting - A double-edged sword for Team India

Kishan will play a vital role for India as an opener or middle-order batter.

Given a choice from an individual perspective, Ishan Kishan has undoubtedly proven to be a better opener than a middle-order bat. While he averages close to 75 at the top of the order, the numbers drop significantly when batting as a non-opener, with an average of 32.41 and a strike rate of 84 in 13 innings.

Yet, the decision has to be looked at keeping in mind the World Cup, the probable scenarios, and the finalization of the squad at the forefront. This is where things get interesting as Kishan opening or batting in the middle order (with Gaikwad opening) have their benefits and drawbacks.

Considering the pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are assured of opening the batting at the World Cup, barring any injuries, Ishan Kishan is likely to feature at the No.4 or 5 position in the Indian lineup. Despite his impressive showing in the recent Asia Cup while batting in the middle order, the 25-year-old still needs more game time to improve his consistency and better understand the nuances of batting in the position.

For that to happen, testing himself against a potent Australian attack could be the ideal preparation for the World Cup. This should mean that Kishan batting in the middle order for the first ODI against Australia, the position he is likely to bat at in the marquee tournament, would serve the side better. Gaikwad will open the batting with Gill in that case.

However, the second scenario of Kishan opening the batting is equally enticing with the prospects of the World Cup in mind. With Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya rested, the primary goal of the first two ODIs is to choose one or two batters in the final squad between Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma.

Considering KL Rahul is leading the side and sure to bat at No.4, the only way for all three batters to play is if Kishan is made to open the batting. Also, Ruturaj Gaikwad almost certainly will not feature in the World Cup squad, which makes opening the batting with him a needless proposition as it jeopardizes trying out the trio mentioned above.

Also, should Rohit or Gill not play any of the World Cup games, Kishan is the backup opener, which lends to the southpaw having match-practice at the position also valuable.

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#3 The Ruturaj Gaikwad angle for opening the batting

Gaikwad could gain valuable experience opening the batting against the Aussie attack.

Although it is hard to look at anything but the World Cup, there will be an eye among Indian fans on the Asian Games 2023. Ruturaj Gaikwad will be leading the side in the tournament.

With the likelihood of playing a maximum of three games starting with the quarter-final on October 3, facing the formidable Australian attack could be the perfect preparation for the elegant batter.

Apart from the Asian battle, Gaikwad is also seen as the next big thing in Indian cricket, with the 26-year-old already being part of the Indian Test squad for the West Indian tour and playing white-ball games sparingly for the side.

With the veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli possibly playing their final 50-over World Cup, Ruturaj could gain valuable experience opening the batting against a high-caliber opposition.

Apart from this, Gaikwad is likely the next opener in line should India not want to change KL Rahul at No.4 and Ishan Kishan at No.5 and if Gill or Rohit are inexplicably forced to miss games due to injury at the World Cup.