IND v AUS 2020: Ajit Agarkar picks youngster Shubman Gill to bat at No. 6 against Australia

India has gone to Australia with a glut of openers in their ranks. Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw can all bat at the top of the order. Rohit Sharma is also set to join the squad soon.

However, this has created a problem for the management as India doesn't have anyone for the crucial No. 6 position.

In Australia, teams generally go with four specialist bowlers, one wicketkeeper and six ace batsmen. The No. 6 batter forms the bridge between the cream and the tail of the batting order.

In 2018, it was either Rohit Sharma or Hanuma Vihari who took the responsibility to bat at that position, and both fared well.

Now, with Virat Kohli set to leave after the first Test, Ajinkya Rahane is expected to take his position at No. 4. This leaves Vihari to fill the spot behind him. Ergo, someone from the opening contingent will have to be pushed down the order.

Former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar feels 21-year-old Shubman Gill should be the one filling that slot.

“Everyone seems to be an opener at the moment in this squad, isn’t it? Because Vihari and Rahane are obviously going to be playing in the middle order with Pujara. So those are three spots that you would believe are occupied. My pick would be Shubman Gill [at 6]. I think a lot of people have picked him as an opener,” Agarkar said on the Sony Sports Network.

Shubman Gill's records as an opener

Shubman Gill is a designated opener. In 22 First-Class games, Gill has mostly played at the top. He boasts an average of 69.74 with seven tons and 10 half-centuries.

He is currently playing the twin warm-up games in Australia before the Tests begin on December 17. In three innings, Gill has recorded scores of 29, 43 and 65 - the highest among the openers.

Shubman Gill's back-foot dominated technique suits Australian conditions impeccably as well. However, Prithvi Shaw's poor returns recently and KL Rahul's experience in the middle-order in ODIs might eventually allow Gill to open alongside Mayank Agarwal.

Nevertheless, Ajit Agarkar opined that Gill was best suited to play in the middle-order. He added:

“Yes, he opened in First-Class cricket for a season or a little bit more, has a good record. But I still feel that his best position might be somewhere in the middle. at least in Test cricket, because I don’t see any better options at this point. People could point put to KL Rahul and his white ball form but if I had to pick, I’ll go with Shubman Gill”

The initial squad debates will end on Thursday when India begin their first overseas Day-Night Test in Adelaide.