Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has urged the Indian selectors and team management to play Dhruv Jurel ahead of Shubman Gill in the pink-ball Test against Australia. However, the Turbanator feels India will play Gill ahead of Jurel in the second Test of the series.
Gill was ruled out of the opening Test match against Australia due to a thumb injury. However, he has recovered from injury and scored an unbeaten 50 in the pink-ball practice match against Prime Ministers XI whereas Jurel didn’t get a chance to bat.
On the other hand, Jurel returned with scores of 11 and 1 in the opening Test at Perth but Harbhajan wants the team’s think tank to give him a longer rope.
Harbhajan Singh said on India Today, “I guess Gill will have to wait for his chance. You took Jurel in for a match and when he didn’t make runs, you would make him sit outside. So you can’t play Gill from opening to No.5 as well. It’s a complicated situation and you do feel trapped. But it’s good only. I feel they will play Gill ahead of Jurel. But I feel Jurel should be played and given the chance.”
Meanwhile,India’s full-time captain Rohit Sharma is all set to return to the team’s playing XI but Harbhajan wants India to continue opening with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who added 201 runs in the second innings at Perth.
“I would say let this KL Rahul-Yashasvi Jaiswal combination to continue. Shubman Gill, I guess, will have to make way for captain Rohit Sharma at No.3 and then Virat Kohli at No.4. After that, it is almost set,” Harbhajan said in the same interview.
The second Test match between Australia and India, which will be a pink-ball game, will be played at Adelaide Oval from December 6 onwards.
