India had to shuffle their batting order in the first Test against New Zealand after Shubman Gill was ruled out. Virat Kohli was promoted to number 3 while Sarfaraz Khan batted at number 4. However, both batters failed as they got out for ducks.
This prompted criticism from former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who questioned the decision by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma. While Karthik refused to defend Kohli over his failure, he suggested Gambhir should have sent either KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan at number 3 instead.
Karthik applauded Kohli for agreeing to bat at number 3, a position he bats in ODIs, despite the move not working out. However, he felt Gambhir deserves blame too for the team’s dismal show. While results didn’t go their way, Karthik praised Kohli and India for being adapting and respecting the coach’s thinking.
In the end, though the tactical decisions backfired in the first innings, Karthik stated consistency in plans may eventually lead to success but he personally felt KL Rahul should have batted at number 3 based on their skills and experience.
