Former Australia National Cricket Team wrist-spinner Brad Hogg has picked a new opening partner for India National Cricket Team left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal in Test cricket.
Brad Hogg said that he would like to see the newly appointed India Test captain, Shubman Gill, open the innings with Jaiswal in Tests following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.
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The Indian team management will have to find replacements for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the Test playing XI ahead of the commencement of the series against England.
Both Rohit and Kohli announced their retirement from the longest format of the game in May 2025, leaving a big void in the Indian team.
The experience of the duo will be missed on the England tour, which is expected to be a tough one. And when RevSportz journalist Gargi Raut asked Brad Hogg about how the Indian team will deal with the absence of the veteran duo, he replied:
"Look, it’s very simple. I think the coach there, I think he’s the right man for this job. He (Gautam Gambhir) reminds me of Justin Langer, where you need someone who’s strong at the helm to take the fire, but also to bring these young troops through. We’ve seen him do it at KKR. KKR had success with him there. So he has that ability to bring the young troops through. So I think he’s fantastic."
Shubman Gill will be opening the batting - Brad Hogg
Brad Hogg further said that Shubman Gill is the ideal candidate to open for India in Test cricket, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal. He added that Sai Sudharsan is also a highly talented batter and could open the innings, but a left-right combo with Gill and Jaiswal at the top would be better for India. Brad Hogg elaborated:
"I’d like to see Nair play a lot more. Shubman Gill will be opening the batting and I’d have him opening the batting with Jaiswal as well, probably. Then you’ve got Pant coming in at six, as I said. You’d have KL Rahul, Nair there. And I’m just trying to figure out who else you’d have in there.
"I’d actually have Sudharsan in there as well, coming in at number three. So you’ve got a lot of youth up there. Sudharsan, the way that he played in the T20 games, I just thought he’s got a fantastic technique. Just love the way that he plays the ball late. He’s able to hit those gaps behind point while still playing a straight bat and work off his pads. So I think he’s got an excellent technique for playing the ball late. I’d like to have him opening the batting. You might have Gill at number three, but I still like that right-hand and left-hand combination."
Notably, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently dropped a major hint about India's opening pair for the Test series against England.
In a video shared by the BCCI from the intra-squad match, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal walked out to open, which was a clear indication that the duo might continue at the top following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.
You have KL Rahul, Pant and Jadeja coming in that middle order - Brad Hogg
Meanwhile, Brad Hogg made a bold claim, saying Sai Sudharsan will emerge as a better batter than Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill going forward. He added that KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja will be handling the middle-order duties for India in red-ball cricket.
"And I think Sudharsan is probably going to be the best bat out of those three going forward. So I think he’s probably best suited at three, or maybe four, and have the experience of Nair coming in at three. Then you have Rahul, Pant and Jadeja coming in that middle order where you’ve got that experience," Brad Hogg said.
The ex-Australia spinner also advised the Gautam Gambhir-led team management to include Karun Nair in the playing XI as he has the talent to shine on the big stage. Brad Hogg stated:
"I think Nair definitely needs another opportunity. He was a shining light when he first came on the scene. Give him another opportunity. And there were a few touches of his brilliance through the IPL. I know that’s T20 cricket, but he’s got a solid defence. Get him in there."
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