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Indian skipper Shubman Gill shed light on KL Rahul's batting position in India's middle order, stating that the team is not looking to assign fixed roles to its number five, six and seven batters.
Gill emphasised that Rahul's position is determined by the match situation and the number of overs remaining, with Axar Patel also an option to provide a left-handed presence in the middle order. Rahul has been batting at different positions in the middle order, with the team management continuing to utilise his versatility according to match situations and team requirements. Gill also added that Hardik Pandya's return would further strengthen India's lower-middle order and provide greater depth to the batting lineup. Gill was speaking to the reporters on the eve of India's 1st ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on Tuesday. "For us, positions five, six and seven are flexible. If you look at our top four, they are pretty much settled, and all four are right-handed batters. So, depending on the situation, if we feel the need for a left-hander at number five, we can send Axar Patel. Similarly, if the platform is set and we feel KL Rahul is the right batter to come in, we make that decision based on the match situation," Gill said. "Personally, I feel that positions five, six and seven are more about the number of overs remaining and the situation of the game rather than sticking to fixed batting positions. We are very happy with the way our top and middle order is shaping up," he added. "When Hardik Pandya comes into the side, our number seven and number eight positions would also be sorted, making us a much more balanced team in terms of our batting depth," he said. India is set to lock horns with New Zealand in a five-match ODI series starting on November 4. Heading into the series with a new and young pace bowling line-up, Gill explained that India's preference for taller bowlers stems from their ability to generate extra bounce and challenge batters, particularly when the ball gets older and offers little seam or swing movement. He stressed that having bowlers who can use pace and bounce to restrict scoring and create wicket-taking opportunities during the middle overs is a key part of India's bowling strategy. India's pace attack for the series comprises Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi. "What I feel is that when the ball gets older, and there is not much seam or swing movement on offer, the challenge is how to make things difficult for the batters. You can do that either through the assistance available from the pitch, such as seam movement, which makes it difficult for batters to score, or by using pace and bounce to challenge them," he added. "So, the idea is to identify bowlers who can make scoring difficult for the opposition and give us the best possible opportunity to take wickets during the middle overs. That has been the thinking behind this approach," he concluded. The ODI series follows an entertaining five-match T20I contest, in which India secured a 3-0 lead by winning the first three matches before New Zealand staged a strong comeback to claim the final two games and finish the series 3-2. The hosts will now look to carry their winning momentum into the 50-over format and take an early lead in the ODI series, while India will be keen to bounce back and begin the next leg of the tour on a winning note. (ANI)
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