'People rarely go down the order from opening in Tests' - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill's demotion in batting position

India's batting star, Shubman Gill, is not only set to make his debut as Test skipper but also as the team's new No.4 batter in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting at Headingley. Former India cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra opined on the change, calling it a rare occasion of a batter demoting himself in Test cricket.

Gill, who has played 32 Test matches so far, has either opened the innings or batted at No. 3. However, with batting stalwart Virat Kohli’s retirement opening a massive void at No. 4, the youngster has opted to take over the position. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on the shift, pointing out that cricketers rarely move down the order in red-ball cricket, especially after starting as openers.

"It's now been confirmed that the captain will play at No. 4. When you look at Shubman Gill's career, it started with opening and how it reached No. 4, it's a very interesting one, because people rarely go down the order from opening in Test cricket," he said.

The former batter mentioned how most Indian Test batters tend to come up in the order over time. He gave the examples of Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, both of whom began their careers lower down and eventually ended at the No. 4 position. On the other hand, players like Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma, once promoted to the opening slot, never came down the order.

"They move up the order for sure. Someone might start at No. 5 or No. 6, and then slowly settle at No. 4 or No. 3. People rarely start as openers and then settle down the order. I don't recall too many players. I don't remember anyone in the Indian context, at least recently. Maybe once in a while, but not necessarily beyond that," he added.

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With the 25-year-old confirming to bat No. 4, many have questioned who will come in at No. 3. Chopra believes B Sai Sudharsan might be the frontrunner, given his impressive domestic performances and the current form. However, he also pointed to Karun Nair as a potential option, mentioning that Nair has been seen batting high up during practice games.

Chopra speculated that Nair might instead bat at No. 6, while the No. 7 position is expected to go to Ravindra Jadeja. As for the seam-bowling all-rounder, Shardul Thakur looks to be ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy.

"Karun Nair used to always be there among the top four batters who used to go to bat. So it could be Karun Nair at No. 3, but personally I feel Karun Nair at No. 6. It seems like Shardul Thakur will be the frontrunner. Nitish Kumar Reddy might also play with him, but there might be a place for only one of them," the Agra-born concluded.