"You had a guilty conscience that you don't do justice with KL Rahul" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli batting at No. 3 in IND vs NZ 2024 1st Test

Aakash Chopra reckons Virat Kohli was made to bat at No. 3 in India's first innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru on Thursday, October 17. He believes the team management didn't want to be unjust to KL Rahul. He added that Rohit Sharma and company wouldn't have had the confidence to bat Sarfaraz Khan at No. 3 either.

Shubman Gill was India's regular No. 3 batter in their last few Tests. However, since the Punjab batter was ruled out of the game due to a reported stiff neck, Sarfaraz was drafted into the XI, with Kohli promoted to No. 3.

During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Chopra was asked whether India could have used Rahul instead of Kohli at No. 3.

"You were trying to do justice with KL Rahul, that you told him No. 6, so he would go at No. 6. If you wanted to do justice with everyone, you could have put Sarfaraz at No. 3. However, you didn't want to do that because you don't have the confidence. When you see Sarfaraz playing, and I am not taking anything away from his game, you feel he is a middle-order batter," he responded.

"He plays at No. 5 or No. 6 for his Ranji Trophy team. Ideally, Rahul should have been there because he has opened previously and is best suited. However, you had a guilty conscience that you don't do justice with KL Rahul, so you don't want to trouble him once more. So his batting order would remain the same," the former India opener added.

With Yashasvi Jaiswal sealing his place as Rohit Sharma's opening batter, Rahul was accommodated at No. 6 in the Test series against Bangladesh. Apart from No. 5, the Karnataka player has batted at every position in the top six in Tests.

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"He had earned the right" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's No. 4 position

In the same discussion, Aakash Chopra noted that Virat Kohli had earned the right to bat at No. 4. He pointed out that the right-hander didn't look to promote himself even when the opportunity arose during his captaincy.

"However, then Virat Kohli will ask the question, that he had earned the right (to bat at No. 4). It's not that the No. 3 spot would have never opened up. Virat Kohli had even dropped (Cheteshwar) Pujara under his captaincy but he did not come at No. 3. He used to come at No. 4 then also," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator questioned whether injustice was meted out to Kohli in an attempt to be just to KL Rahul.

"Opportunities came when he could have moved himself up but he hadn't done that. You have done that today after 2016. So the question is there that you did justice with one but for the other, was it uncalled for or not? They will figure it out once they look back," Chopra observed.

The change in the batting order didn't yield India the desired results. Kohli, Rahul, and Sarfaraz Khan were all dismissed for ducks as the hosts were bowled out for 46 in their first innings.