Not long ago, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed the arrival of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the Test setup by allowing Shubman Gill to take the No.3 batting position. Rohit’s former Test opening partner discussed his new role in the lead-up to the West Indies series with head coach Rahul Dravid. While young Jaiswal has been taken to Test cricket like a fish to water, Gill has struggled to live up to his expectations as a No.3 batter in the longest format.
Gill also extended his low-scoring run in the 1st Test against England. The No.3 batter scored 23 off 66 balls in the 1st innings. In India’s second essay, Gill was out for a two-ball duck. The 24-year-old averages below 30 in 39 Test innings for Team India. After India suffered a stunning defeat to Ben Stokes and Co. in the 1st Test on Sunday, legendary cricketer Anil Kumble assessed Gill’s recent form slump.
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‘Shubman Gill needs to score runs’: Anil Kumble
“He needs to be a lot freer. He needs to score runs. He needs to come up with his own plan of action to tackle spin, because he has hard hands. It’s good for good surfaces where the ball is coming on nicely and the faster bowlers are bowling at you. But when the ball is turning, when it’s slow, you need to use your hands and control and check your shots,” Kumble told JioCinema.
“That’s something he needs to work on. It can’t be one flow all the time. Yes, four days before the next Test, can you work on your skill? I think it’s all the mindset. You can certainly work on your mindset, and you have the best possible person as the coach (Rahul Dravid) to manage that for Shubman Gill,” the former India skipper added.
What Kumble said about Pujara?
With India losing Virat Kohli for the first two Tests, the hosts drafted Rajat Patidar into the squad ahead of the series opener against England. Patidar pipped the likes of Sarfaraz Khan and Cheteshwar Pujara to feature in the Test squad for the England series. With Pujara not considered in the Indian squad and Kohli set for a return in the 3rd Test, spin-bowling icon Kumble suggested that Gill will have to prove his worth in the upcoming encounter against England. After losing the series opener by 28 runs, India will hope to bounce back in the 2nd Test at Visakhapatnam on Friday.
“He has been given the cushion perhaps even a Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t get, because although he (Pujara) has played over a 100 Tests, I keep coming back to him mainly because that was his place not too long ago. Pujara played in that World Test Championship final and post that, it’s been Shubman Gill, who’s been moving from the opener’s slot, and he himself wanted to bat at No. 3. So, when you want to bat at No. 3 especially in India because you have that talent, you certainly need to work on your game. He has the skills, he is young and he’s learning, but he needs to do it in Vizag, otherwise the pressure will be on him,” Kumble concluded.
