Star India player Shubman Gill has the experience of playing in Australia before and he is capable of doing well at No. 3, former India captain Anil Kumble said recently. The legendary leg-spinner also urged India to resist the temptation to open the batting with him if and when Rohit Sharma is unavailable for a Test match in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy as well.

“You know he (Shubman) is exceptionally talented, skilful and he’s done that. He’s been to Australia before. Like you mentioned, in Brisbane, he got a wonderful fifty there and he knows the conditions,” Anil Kumble told the broadcasters during a rain delay on Day 1 of the Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 16. “I don’t want to change that. I know there’s a temptation to push Shubman Gill because Rohit is not available in the first Test. But, there’s always KL Rahulâ€æ that name is synonymous with change and adapting to whatever the team wants. Whether you want to open the batting or keep wickets, Rahul Dravid did that, now KL Rahul is doing that.”

ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya shares happiness after winning back the love of fans

Shubman Gill also hit a match-winning 91 in India’s iconic victory in the Brisbane Test in 2021 while opening the batting as well. The young batting star has slowly found his rhythm at the No. 3 spot for India. Kumble opined on how Gill’s style of batting is unlike the style that Rahul Dravid and his successor Cheteshwar Pujara had while batting at No. 3 as well. He also said Gill is capable of being versatile and his role at No.3 will be crucial to India’s success in Australia as well.

“You said, for the last 25 years, there have been only two players who have been consistently playing and and and it’s a tough role. I mean, both those batsmen, Rahul and Cheteshwar, contributed immensely during that period, and you know you have to balance it out. You could probably be batting the second ball of the test match, or you could be batting much later when the conditions are easier,” Kumble said.

ALSO READ: “Shubman’s captaincy is very good” – Ravi Bishnoi on Shubman Gill

“But more often than not, you get in there to control that first session and see off the new ball because we know that the Kookaburra Ball after the 1st 25 hours, the best time to bat is between the 30th over and the 60th over. And that’s what these two batters did throughout their careers, ensuring that the team was safe and the four number four, number five and number six batters, came in much later into the lineup so that they could comfortably bat and score the runs. So Shubman will have to play that role very specifically in Australia. He may have to change a little bit based on the conditions. He has the ability (to do that) as well,” Anil Kumble concluded.