IND vs BAN, 1st Test: 3 Players Who Can Open For India With KL Rahul In Rohit Sharma’s Absence

New Delhi: The first Test of the two-match Test series between India and Bangladesh will start on December 14 in Chattogram. Both games are a must-win for India if they want to keep them their hopes  alive in the race to qualify for the World Test Championship final. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is ruled out of first Test due to a thumb injury. In his place KL Rahul has been announced as India captain for first Test. But apart from his captaincy, India will miss Rohit as an opener as well. Here’s a look at three players who can open alongside Rahul for India in the first Test:

Shubman Gill: In the absence of Rohit, Shubman is likely to open for India with KL Rahul. The 23-year-old has opened in the past as well. He partnered Rohit at the top when India played it’s last Test against England at Edgbaston in July this year. However, the India captain was ruled out in the second innings after returning a Covid positive result.

Cheteshwar Pujara: Senior batter Cheteshwar Pujara is a designated No. 3 batter for India. But on seven occasions in the past, he has opened for India as well. As an opening batter he has scored 395 runs at an healthy average of 98.75.

Abhimanyu Easwaran: The Bengal batter was the captain of India A that won the series in Bangladesh last week. He scored a century in the first innings of both the games that earned him a place in the India squad after Rohit was ruled out of the first Test due to a thumb injury. He’s a proven red  ball player and has made a big name for himself in domestic cricket while playing for his state team. It will be interesting to see how he performs if he gets a chance to make his debut.