"Gill to open, KL Rahul to bat at five in Nagpur Test"- Aakash Chopra

KL Rahul [Source: Twitter]

After crushing New Zealand in white-ball series at home, hosts India will lock horns with Australia in a four-match Test series beginning February 9. 

However, with Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer being unavailable, a selection conundrum has emerged before the Indian management. 

While Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are battling for the second opener's slot, the competition is intense between KS Bharat and Suryakumar Yadav for a spot in the middle order. 

Meanwhile, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra thinks the Indian think tank will likely slot Gill at the top alongside Rohit Sharma, asking KL Rahul to bat in the middle order in the first Test in Nagpur. 

So, the cricketer-turned-commentator reckons there will be no place for Suryakumar Yadav in the Indian eleven. 

"I feel because KL Rahul is an extremely versatile player, and it happens with him every time, as others might not be able to do that good a job there, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill won't move down the order. I think KL Rahul will bat at number 5, and we might see Gill opening and Suryakumar Yadav being benched."

Chopra seems logical in his assessment, as India often prefer to field trusted players at the start of the series. 

However, if Rahul performs admirably in Nagpur and Shreyas Iyer returns for the second Test, it will be interesting to see who the hosts prefer in their playing XI. 

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