Ahead of the third game of the Border Gavaskar four-match Test series, former India head coach, Ravi Shastri has backed Gill to feature in the clash over KL Rahul against the Aussies.

As both cricketing powerhouses are set to make quite a few calls on the selection, there have been reports that the management could drop out-of-form KL Rahul and include Gill for the Indore Test. On the eve of the third Test, Ravi Shastri made an honest admission that the side should include Gill in the upcoming clash.

"He (Shubman Gill) is that good at the moment and whether he scores or doesn’t score, on form, on merit, he deserves a chance. The team management know his (KL Rahul's) form, they know his mental state. They know how they should be watching someone like Gill," Shastri said while speaking in the latest episode of The ICC Review.

"Here, you want prime form, you want someone like Gill, who's red hot. He will challenge. He has to bang that door down and get into the side. Now, he's not the vice-captain, it has to be team management's decision," Shastri added.

The Rohit Sharma-led India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, courtesy of their domineering performances. Despite winning back-to-back matches, Shastri further added that the inclusion of Gill will not affect the team’s combination.

"Not at all. I mean, it's straight up, it comes down to performance. You stick it on the board. This is the performance. It's a tough thing for a coach, I remember I had to do it many times, where you just sit down, and explain to the player, ‘This is what's on the board, what do you think?’,” concluded Shastri.

KL Rahul's position in the Indian Test XI might be the biggest topic of discussion on social media and among experts but that, quite expectedly, hasn't had any impact on the preparations of Team India ahead of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, at least going by captain Rohit Sharma's words in the pre-match press conference in Indore.

After India's six-wicket victory in the second Test, Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid had made it clear players like Rahul, who have scored multiple overseas hundreds and are hugely talented, will always be backed by the team management. The Indian captain said the same on the eve of the third Test and added that Rahul's removal as the vice-captain of the Test side "indicates nothing". For the record, India have not named a vice-captain for the reamining two Tests of the series.

"I said it after the last game also. When we talk about players going through a tough time, anyone with potential will be given enough time to prove himself. Being vice-captain or not being vice-captain doesn't tell you anything. At that point in time when he was the vice-captain, he was probably the senior most. His removal of vice-captaincy doesn't indicate anything," Rohit said on Tuesday.

Shubman Gill, the man pitted to replace Rahul as an opener for the third Test, has had lengthier batting sessions, and extended catching practices in the slips and in forward short-leg, all indicating his return in the whites.

When asked about the practice sessions and Gill's active involvement - the most in the series - in the lead-up, captain Rohit said it is routine. Rohit said he would disclose the XI only at the toss.

Tags :Border–Gavaskar TrophyBorder gavaskar trophyShubman GillKl rahulRavi Shastri