Shumban Gill is one of the finest young batting talents from India in this decade and has already produced some memorable knocks since his national team debut in 2019. The 25-year-old even briefly reached the world No.1 ranking for batter in ODI cricket and is now seen as an integral part of the team across all formats of the game. Gill has represented the country in 95 international matches, scoring 4562 runs at an impressive average of 43.87 with the help of 12 centuries and these numbers reflect his true potential and caliber.
However, Gill has been a tad inconsistent when it comes to the Test format. Having played 27 Tests, Gill has accumulated 1656 runs at an average of 36.80, which is middling with the help of five centuries. He made a rampant start to his Test career scoring 259 runs at 51.80 in his maiden series in Australia but couldn’t maintain his consistency in the Test matches that followed. As an opener, Gill scored 874 runs at a below-par average of 32.37 in 29 innings. He then decided to move to the No.3 position in mid-2023, to fill the slot left vacant by Cheteshwar Pujara.
This move proved to be a blessing in disguise for Gill as three of his five tons came in this position and all in the year 2024. He has amassed 782 runs in just 21 innings batting at 3 and the average also increased significantly to close to 44. With 662 runs in 2024, he is having his best year in Tests but a well-rounded team needs to have solid backup options.
In a country like India, where there is a good domestic cricket structure and no dearth of batting talents, the national Test team need not worry concerning back-up options for the No.3 role. So who are all the potential backups for Shubman Gill at No.3 in Test cricket? we will find out here.
Abhimanyu Easwaran
A batting stalwart for Bengal over the last decade, Abhimanyu Easwaran has always knocked at the doors of the national Test team in recent times thanks to his consistent performances in the domestic circuit. The right-hander has been a prolific scorer since making his debut back in 2015, be it for his state side Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Irani Cup, or India “A” side he has represented.
In the year 2024 alone, Easwaran has amassed 921 runs in just 14 innings with 4 centuries, including 3 in his last four knocks. In all, he has 7506 first-class runs in 98 games at a remarkable average of 49.38 with 26 tons. With all these impressive numbers behind him, Easwaran can be a viable option to bat at the top order for India and a great back-up option for Gill.
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Another solid performer at the domestic level, Ruturaj Gaikwad has made rapid strides in the ranks and has represented the country in both white-ball formats. He has earned Test call-ups but he is yet to earn a cap in the red-ball format. Gaikwad, having succeeded in the IPL and List A cricket, has all the talent in the world to be a good Test player and good enough numbers to back his case.
The right-hander who leads the Rest of India’s side in the Irani Cup, has had a good beginning to his first-class career, making 2282 runs in 33 games with the help of six centuries. He averages over 42 in red-ball cricket and with a bit more consistency, Gaikwad could challenge Gill for a spot in the Test side.
Sai Sudharsan
The Tamil Nadu youngster has been a prolific scorer in white-ball cricket but is yet to find his purple patch in red-ball cricket, where he averages around about 37 in 24 games, scoring over 1500 runs. Sai Sudharsan, still only 22 years old has a lot of time to establish himself as a contender to be a part of the star-studded Indian Test side and he can start that by scoring consistently at the domestic level.
But from what we have seen off the left-hander in his brief career thus far, Sudharsan has shown he belongs to the highest level and someone who is here to stay for a long time.
Devdutt Padikkal
Another left-hander who has made a strong case for himself to be part of the Test side is Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal. The 24-year-old batter has scored 1030 runs in the 17 first-class innings he played in 2024 and he did it with a massive average of 60.58 with 4 centuries to his kitty. His consistent show earned him a Test call-up and he made his Test debut against England at Dharamsala, where he scored an impressive 65 in his maiden outing. The need of the hour from Padikkal is back for a good 2023/24 domestic season with yet another dream season, which would propel his case further.
Baba Indrajith
A domestic veteran like Easwaran, Baba Indrajith has been a tad unlucky not to be considered for the Indian Test side, despite having great numbers. The right-hander from Chennai averages a whopping 53.66 in 74 first-class games hammering 5474 runs with 16 centuries against his name. Indrajith possesses a solid technique against pacers & spinners alike and could be a valuable addition to the Indian top or middle order.
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