ENG vs IND | Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim feels absence of KL Rahul a big blow to the team

Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim feels that the absence of KL Rahul from the Indian side for the upcoming fifth and final rescheduled Test against England will be a massive blow to the team. 

Karim has claimed that the player's unavailability is a setback as he played an essential role for the team during their last visit to England, scoring 315 runs. He was the team's second-highest run-scorer behind Rohit Sharma. 

Speaking on a live show on India TV, Saba Karim said: "Only one player is not available at the moment, that is KL Rahul. The way he had performed in the Test matches last year, the two Test matches India had won, KL Rahul had a huge contribution. So the Indian team will definitely miss him."

On the other hand, the former Indian keeper feels that this has presented Shubman Gill with a massive chance to shine.

 "It is a huge opportunity for Shubman Gill. Shubman Gill will have a very important role because he is an attacking player; he is technically capable of batting here and scoring runs. It will be very good for us if Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill have a good partnership."

Shubman Gill was expected to be a part of the Indian squad in the initial tour but missed out on the four matches due to an injury. The player, however, has played in England in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand, scoring 36 runs. 

Now the onus will be on Rohit Sharma to get India off to a flying start. 

"It is a huge responsibility for Rohit Sharma. He had given fantastic starts to India in the Test matches that were played last year. There will be similar expectations from him this time as well. It is extremely important in England, where conditions keep changing a lot, that if you get a good start, you can post a massive total," he concluded. 

The 5th and final Test between England and India will be played at Edgbaston from July 1. Team India currently lead the series 2-1.