Former India batter turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra said that Virat Kohli was made to bat at No. 3 in India’s first innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Thursday, October 17 as well. He also added that the team management didn’t want to be unjust to KL Rahul and they didn’t have the confidence to bat Sarfaraz Khan at No. 3 either as Shubman Gill was India’s regular No. 3 batter who didn’t play due to a reported stiff neck as well.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Chopra said, “You were trying to do justice with KL Rahul, that you told him No. 6, so he would go at No. 6. If you wanted to do justice with everyone, you could have put Sarfaraz at No. 3. However, you didn’t want to do that because you don’t have the confidence. When you see Sarfaraz playing, and I am not taking anything away from his game, you feel he is a middle-order batter.”
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“He plays at No. 5 or No. 6 for his Ranji Trophy team. Ideally, Rahul should have been there because he has opened previously and is best suited. However, you had a guilty conscience that you don’t do justice with KL Rahul, so you don’t want to trouble him once more. So his batting order would remain the same,” he further added.
In the same discussion, Aakash Chopra also stated that Virat Kohli had earned the right to bat at No. 4. He added that Kohli didn’t look to promote himself even when the opportunity arose during his captaincy.
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“However, then Virat Kohli will ask the question, that he had earned the right (to bat at No. 4). It’s not that the No. 3 spot would have never opened up. Virat Kohli had even dropped (Cheteshwar) Pujara under his captaincy but he did not come at No. 3. He used to come at No. 4 then also. Opportunities came when he could have moved himself up but he hadn’t done that. You have done that today after 2016. So the question is there that you did justice with one but for the other, was it uncalled for or not? They will figure it out once they look back,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
