KL Rahul can bat in middle-order, he is a multi-purpose player: Salman Butt

India lost all the advantage they had in the Lord’s Test by going down to England by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test match in Leeds. The high-octane five-match Test series between these two top teams is now poised at 1-1 with two games to go. There is very little time for the visitors to turn around, as the next Test match is starting on September 2 at The Oval.

With such a heavy defeat, experts and critics have come hard down at India and have suggested few changes for the fourth Test. While some have said Ravi Ashwin and Shardul Thakur need to be included, others have said Ishant Sharma should be replaced. But former Pakistan captain Salman Butt feels that India’s middle-order batting is an area of concern. In the three Tests so far, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Ajinkya Rahane have contributed in patches but collectively failed to deliver.

Butt feels it is happening because they have been exposed to the new ball early. He had conducted a Question-and-Answer session with his fans on his YouTube channel. One of the fans asked if Shubman Gill can be tried as a middle-order batter. The cricketer-turned-expert answered by saying, “Why would Shubman Gill come in as a middle-order batter? He has performed superbly as an opener in Australia as well in England during the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. He batted well on those testing conditions. He also has a good technique against the new ball,” Butt said.

The former Pakistan captain further opined that he should stick to opening the batting. “Gill should continue batting as an opener and, KL Rahul should come in as a middle-order batter due to his good showing as an opener. If he can play the first new ball well, then he can also play the second new ball nicely. He was anyways seen as a middle-order player. He went up to open because Agarwal was concussed.”

KL Rahul is a multi-purpose player: Salman Butt

Butt further stated that KL Rahul is a multi-purpose player due to his ability to open, keep wickets, and flexible batting position.

“KL Rahul is a multi-purpose player owing to the ability to bat in anywhere, keep wickets. He can bat as an opener and in the middle-order. The good point is that he performs everywhere as he has four centuries outside India. So, I personally think Gill should open the innings and, Rahul should bat in the middle-order. KL Rahul is definitely a multi-purpose player and very valuable for the Indian team,” Butt said.