Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj are all set to be India’s Test caps #297 and 298 in the Boxing Day Test against Australia – we analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for each of them ahead of their maiden Test outing.

After hurtling to a defeat in incredulous fashion in the first game, India were bound to make a few changes beyond just replacing the unavailable Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami. They ended up making as many as four, bringing in Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, and handing debuts to Gill and Siraj, two proven domestic performers who have made all the right noises in the lead up to their maiden Test.

Below we do a SWOT analysis on India’s two debutants.

Shubman Gill

Strengths

At 21, Shubman Gill has shown remarkable composure in his short domestic career, combining his natural, free-flowing instincts with a solid technique and sound temperament. On the back of his U-19 performances and a breakthrough 2018/19 domestic season, Gill rose quickly up the ranks to clinch a spot in the ODI team. Known to be a level-headed batsman with a great understanding of his game, Gill averages 68.78 in first-class cricket with seven tons and a best of 268. That’s one pretty resume.

Weakness

It’s difficult to pin-point any technical weaknesses to his game as yet, especially with respect to Australian conditions. Gill has featured in three ODIs across two years; while that might not be a big enough sample size, he failed to create a real impact in those innings, twice falling to early movement with the new ball. While he’s shown enough promise at the domestic level to be in contention and has tackled international bowlers in the IPL fairly well, it remains to be seen if he’s still raw for international cricket, specifically on unfamiliar terrains.

Opportunities

There’s almost always competition for batting spots in the Indian team, but there’s more breathing space for Gill this time. Prithvi Shaw, the other contender for the spot, has fared poorly, shifting popular support behind Gill. Additionally, an Indian line-up consisting of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal capitulated to 36 all out in the previous game, so the pressure of expectations will not be as intense on the debutant.

Threats

He’s lining up to face Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, arguably the world’s most potent pace trio at the moment. The new-ball bowlers will fancy Gill’s wicket as an opportunity to make early inroads, and dent India’s top order, especially in Kohli’s absence. They’re already in great nick and will look to faze the newcomer with pace and movement from the get-go. Along with that, Gill could get a good dose of the short ball, something he might not yet have experienced against a world-class attack on these sort of pitches.

Mohammed Siraj

Strengths

Siraj’s progress through the rungs has been the product of old-fashioned hard work. A diligent operator who bowls his heart out, Siraj is known to be persistent with his efforts, irrespective of the format. With the new, red ball, he is known to extract appreciable swing as well, specifically with the deliveries that cut into right-hand batsmen. In the absence of Shami, their premier swing bowler, the early movement Siraj can potentially generate could hold India in good stead against a line-up predominantly made up of right-handers.

Weakness

While Siraj is an able workhorse, he tends to wilt under sustained pressure and lose his rhythm when things don’t go his way. The IPL might not be the best criteria to judge, but Siraj has had instances where his first spells have been on-point, but has thrown away the good work with erratic bowling in the second half. His performance in the practice games has been promising, but a full-strength Australian attack could target those weaknesses.

Opportunities

It isn’t a bad time to debut. Siraj has been added into a bowling attack containing Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, two bowlers with considerable experience and expertise at the top level. Add to that, Jadeja joins R Ashwin to make up a strong line-up, giving Siraj the ideal cushioning around him. Even if he ends up having a lacklustre start, the rest of the attack can compensate him for it. It also helps that an injured David Warner won’t be going all out at him at top of the order.

Threats

Siraj could have a particularly hard time negating Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, two batsmen who love to spend time in the middle and grind down opposition attacks. In his first outing, Siraj would be eager to claim the big fishes, but it would be a real test of his patience if he is to tackle the duo, two of the top five ranked Test batsmen at the moment, and that too on their turf.

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India Mohammed SirajShubman GillAustralia v IndiaSeries Editorial