One straightforward option is to bring Sanju Samson directly into the opening slot alongside Abhishek Sharma. This restores the left‑hand‑right‑hand pairing that India have lacked. Samson’s inclusion adds a right‑handed presence to counter off‑spin, though his struggles against hard lengths and express pace remain a concern.
The recent New Zealand series highlighted his vulnerability, and Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani could exploit it. Still, Samson’s cameo against Namibia showed the spark India have missed.