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Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has stated that India might bring in Maharashtra in-form batter Ruturaj Gaikwad in the place of Shubman Gill, who is suffering from a neck spasm.
Notably, Gill is unlikely to take part in the Guwahati Test due to a neck spasm. With Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal already part of the squad, India might not be thinking of having too many left-handers in the top and middle order.
"Should Ruturaj Gaikwad be selected in the Test team? You might be wondering how he can be selected as the team is already selected, and no one has gone out. There is still no clarity on Shubman Gill's participation. He has been discharged from the hospital, but there is still a question mark over his participation," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
"Just in case he doesn't become available, you will have to play someone. You have Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal sitting outside - two more left-handers. You have six left-handers in the XI at the moment. Do you want to go with seven left-handers? You want to change that, maybe," he added.
Furthermore, Chopra asserted that Gaikwad has been in excellent form for India A in white-ball cricket, scoring two consecutive half-centuries against South Africa A in the one-day series. Moreover, he has been impressive enough in the red-ball format as well.
"He is in excellent form. He is scoring runs for India A in white-ball cricket. Don't know why he is not played in the days' format when the India A team plays, but wherever he is playing, whether it's the Ranji Trophy or the Duleep Trophy, he has been scoring the runs," he noted.
"He even bats in the middle order. He looks technically compact. It seems like he has been made to play Tests, and this is the same ground where he struck a T20I century vs Australia. So I am building a case for him that if there is any chance of Shubman Gill not playing, paradrop and bring him in," he concluded.
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