Veteran Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara has backed Shubman Gill to fill Virat Kohli’s void following Kohli’s retirement from Tests ahead of the five-match series in England. He also added that Gill has only played in the top three because of his ability to dominate with the new ball.
However, Pujara stated that Gill can be a good choice at No.4 if he can handle the old ball as well.

Pujara told ESPNcricinfo: “Since he has batted well with the new ball, I would still say that he should be batting in [the] top three, which is his ideal position, which suits him well. If he bats at No. 4 in England and if he can be successful at that position, then, yes, he can be a No. 4 for the Indian team.”

ALSO READ: “In the next T20 World Cup in India, he’ll be number one bowler” – Mohammad Kaif on Varun Chakravarthy

“Shubman is someone who is more capable of playing the new balls. He has been opening the innings earlier, before he started batting at No. 3. He prefers to bat when the ball is slightly hard and new. Will he be able to manage with the old ball? That is a big question at this stage,” he further added.

Cheteshwar Pujara also said that Team India should pick their best batter to play at No. 4 as well. The veteran again said the team management should take time to decide their new No.4 batter.

“We will need a couple of series to figure out who is well suited to bat at No. 4, because it’s an important position. You need your best batter to bat at No. 4. And at this time, I think it’s still a spot where the team management will have to figure out who is the most suited player at No. 4,” Cheteshwar Pujara concluded.