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Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has hinted at who will be the number 3 batsman of the Indian team in the Mullanpur Test against Afghanistan. Gambhir said in the press conference on Friday (June 5) that Sai Sudarshan has not got a proper opportunity to bat at number three in Test cricket. He indicated that Sudarshan would be given preference over Devdutt Padikkal. Gambhir also said that the team will prepare four spinners for the Sri Lanka tour in August.

This Test match played between India and Afghanistan is not a part of the current World Test Championship but it is important for preparing the team combination in view of the upcoming series. Gambhir told reporters, ‘Sai Sudarshan has not got a fair chance. He played most of the matches in England and I think he should get a fair chance. He further said, ‘We can select only 11 players and Sai is not in bad form. He has scored more than 700 runs in IPL. If we assess Sai on the basis of four-five matches, then we will not be able to form any solid opinion.

What did Gambhir say about Rishabh Pant?

There is a race between Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey for the left-arm spinner’s slot and Gambhir said India will have to prepare multiple spin bowling options for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August. He said, ‘Manav and Harsh are similar players to some extent but there are some differences in the way they bowl. This match will help us in preparing our fourth spinner, because we will take four spinners to Sri Lanka.

Gambhir said, ‘We will have to prepare differently when we tour New Zealand. We believe that we need to prepare better for Test matches. Regarding the removal of Rishabh Pant from the post of Test vice-captain, Gambhir said that Pant has his support but he needs to understand the state of the game better. The Indian coach said, ‘We do not want any change in Rishabh Pant’s playing style but in international cricket it is important for the players to respect the match conditions.’