After suffering a heavy defeat in the first Test against New Zealand, India are likely to make a few changes going into the 2nd Test, which will begin from Saturday in Christchurch. Though, India captain Virat Kohli stressed that he should not be too harsh on his players, the Indian batting unit collapsed in Wellington, and the visitors could not even cross the total of 200 in both the innings. Former New Zealand allrounder Scott Styris, on Sunday, said that India should include Shubman Gill into the side in the 2nd Test to bolster batting line-up.
Speaking in the post-match discussion show on Star Sports along with Mayanti Langer and Sanjay Manjrekar, Styris said: "I am currently, as I have been for a year or two, flying flag for Shubman Gill. I think he is a special talent who India are leaving out unnecessarily. I think he could be the mainstay along with Kohli for the next 10 years for this batting line-up for India. I am not sure if he feels the same way, I would get him into the side.
The former Kiwi international, though admitted that India might find it hard to decided which position Gill should come out and bat. "India and Australia usually bring their new players at no. 6 positions. So India have that option. They can say, 'Look Prithvi, we know you are young, we'll come back to you in another conditions', maybe put Vihari up the top or put Shubman Gill at 6. Or of course, they can put him straight into the top of the order because that's where he usually bats," he said.
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Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar agreed that Kohli could bring Gill into the side, but added that it is unlikely he will drop Prithvi Shaw. "From what I have heard Kohli say, he might back Prithvi Shaw. It might be a hard call, but it's a two-match series, so Shubman Gill could be coming in place of Vihari, even though, it is unfair on Vihari, since he got a hundred in West Indies."
Manjrekar added that Kohli might also bring in Ravindra Jadeja in the team in place of Ravichandran Ashwin, who failed to shine with the bat. "There's also a chance... because Ashwin's batting is going down, and Jadeja's batting has gone up, and in this Test, the batting has failed, Jadeja might replace Ashwin in the 2nd Test," he added.
