New Delhi: After Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli provided incredible stability for India at no.4 in Tests throughout his career. With Kohli drawing curtains on his illustrious 14-year-long Test career earlier this week, India have huge shoes to fill at no.4 in the longest format. India will be searching for a new reliable no.4 batter in their upcoming tour of England, which gets underway next month.
India will be playing a five-match Test series with a new-look side as they will be without two of their senior-most players – Kohli and former captain Rohit Sharma, who both retired from Test cricket inside a week. The team management and head coach Gautam Gambhir will have their task out as they have to pick India’s next no.4 in the tricky England series.
India have several contenders for the position which is considered one of the toughest in Test cricket and is usually given to the best batter in the team. Before Kohli, it was Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who ruled at no.4 for India for years and scored plethora of runs while batting at the challenging position. In the current Indian setup, the likes of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are the favourites to be given the no.4 role.
However, legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble has suggested Karun Nair as the solution to India’s no.4 problem after Kohli’s departure. The former India head coach believes the in-form batter, who impressed in the domestic circuit this season, can come good at no.4 in the England series. Kumble also believes Nair has the kind of experience required to bat at no.4 in English conditions.
“Karun deserves to come back into the Indian team with the kind of domestic run he has had. So perhaps he could be the No. 4 for India because I feel you need a bit of experience. You need someone in England who has been there and done that. He has played county cricket, so he knows the conditions. Karun may be on the other side of 30, but he is still young. If he gets an opportunity, there will be a lot more hope for youngsters to play first-class cricket. If the sheer performance in domestic cricket doesn’t get recognised, it becomes a bit of a challenge,” Karun said on ESPNCricinfo.
Legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble has named a batter who he feels can replace Virat Kohli at no.4 for India in Tests. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
