Is there a workaround, then? Where does Kishan bat?

"I think that's the tough part right now," Prasad said, on the same Star Sports show, of India's top-order juggling. "If you're looking at Gill to open with Rohit, then where to send Ishan Kishan is a cause for concern. If you see some of the roles he's played at No. 4 or 5, I don't think he has justified his place there.

"The best thing is he enjoys batting up the order. Somehow, we need to accommodate him at the top of the order. Probably that left-right combination of Rohit and Ishan Kishan might come in handy.

"A left-hander at the top of the order as opposed to three right-handers with the ball just swinging away, and allowing teams to get a grip on where to bowl and bowl consistently, was missing. And Rohit is a different player when he has a left-hander at the other end. He's a totally different player altogether.

"We've seen the stats, stats don't lie over a period of time, so I think a left-right batting combination at the top will help. If you tinker with his [Kishan's] batting position, if you put him at 5-6, it's useless. He doesn't know how to play. The pressure is on him to bat differently. He's got a double-hundred at the top of the order, he's got some runs, he scores quickly. The thing with Kishan is if he's there for 30-40 balls, he'll go, he'll get you off to a flier."

"I'll go with Gill [at the top]," he said. "I'm not sure if I agree with Ravi and MSK's point where they say Rohit is comfortable if his partner is a left-hander. Like they say, [I agree] only position Ishan can bat is No. 1. So it's a big decision to take."

Shastri cut in here, saying Rohit would play a very important role in the whole process. "It's a very good point... Shubman has had a fabulous 2023. This where flexibility comes in. Rohit as captain is vastly experienced. He can go at 1-3-4. This is where you have to see the frame of mind of the player.

"How will Gill feel if he's asked to bat at 3-4 as opposed to batting at the top? If he feels he's best at the top - and the runs he's got of late is phenomenal - this is where flexibility comes into play and the captain will have to take a hard decision."