Why is Shubman Gill dropped from the India Playing XI for Boxing Day Test?

While the heat never stops when it's India vs Australia, the series has paced up now that the Border Gavaskar Trophy has only two matches to go. India arrived in Melbourne with the series at 1-1 at the conclusion of three Tests. Both teams have some nagging struggles to deal with in order to claim a lead in the five-match contest. India, however, seems to have made a hasty decision for the Boxing Day Test to deal with the turbulence in the batting order. In a shocking move, Shubman Gill has been dropped to make space for an extra spinner in the combination for the fourth BGT Test. How the change performs for the visitors is yet to unfold, but cricket pundits are not reacting positively to the decision.

Shubman Gill faces the axe for the Boxing Day Test

The Boxing Day Test kicked off at the MCG, with Australia winning the toss and Pat Cummins opting to bat first against India. For the home team, the young batting sensation Sam Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney in the opening position, as anticipated days ahead of the match. India, however, staged a shocking change as skipper Rohit Sharma informed of the updated Playing XI at the toss. Shubman Gill has been dropped from the combination for the Boxing Day Test. Axing the seasoned No.3 batter, India added Washington Sundar to the team, who will join Ravindra Jadeja as the second spin all-round option at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The fact that Shubman Gill has struggled down under in the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy has not been hidden by anyone. The batter joined the proceedings in Adelaide after missing the opener in Perth due to a finger injury. However, while the injury subsided successfully, his batting form in overseas conditions remained rueful. In the contests where India lost by 10 wickets in Adelaide and managed a hard-fought draw at the Gabba, Gill showcased disappointing knocks of 31, 28, and 1. Moreover, the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy is not the only instance of Shubman Gill struggling to score in overseas conditions.

Since his debut in 2020, the 91-run stand in the historic Gabba breach is still recorded as his highest-run stand overseas. Following the 2020-21 BGT, Gill has played 16 innings across Australia, England, and the Caribbean. In these 16 innings over the last couple of years, the batter has scored just 267 runs at an average of 17.8. After the 91 at the Gabba, Gill’s highest score beyond the subcontinent is 36 not out in Cape Town.

How fair is the decision to drop Shubman Gill from the batting order, which is struggling as a whole?

In the ongoing series down under, Gill, notably, is not the only underperforming pick in the Indian batting lineup. Across Adelaide and Brisbane, almost the whole Indian batting order has failed miserably, barring some knocks here and there. Only KL Rahul appears confident in his stance against the Australian attack, as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma pile up disappointments innings after innings.

The latest change, meanwhile, seems to be an attempt by Rohit Sharma to weave his way back up to the top order. As he joined the team after the Perth Test, KL Rahul had proved that he belonged to the opening position. Unwilling to toy with the winning combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, who partnered for 201 runs at Perth, the captain found a place in the middle order. However, Rohit’s exploits in the middle order have been forgettable, to say the least. In the three innings across Adelaide and Gabba, the captain has managed just 19 runs, proving the key figure in the Indian batting collapses at both venues.

However, the youngster has a lot of time ahead of him and a classic style of play, as displayed by the five tons he has aced in the longer format. As far as the batting form is concerned, Gill is not the only one suffering right now. Moreover, a look at how Australia has fared on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test suggests the MCG pitch could have aided the top-order batter in his quest to find rhythm. However, Rohit Sharma seems to be embroiled in the same quest as he shuffles the order to find a place back in the top order. Following the toss, the Indian skipper confirmed that he’d be batting in the top order again. Whether he opens or claims Gill’s position at No.3 is still to be found out. However, the gamble to replace a batter with an extra spinner could cost the visitors highly.