NEW DELHI: In the six Tests
Shubman Gill
featured in 2023, the young India opener managed a mere 258 runs at an average of 28 and has seemingly struggled in the traditional format.
Out of those 258 runs, 185 of them came in India as Gill on the West Indies tour scored just 45 runs. And in the first Test against South Africa, Gill once again was found short of runs scoring 2 and 26 in the two innings of the Centurion game.
Despite being in top form in white-ball cricket, the 24-year-old has found it difficult in the red-ball format in recent times and legendary
Sunil Gavaskar
weighed in of Gill's struggles, saying the youngster is being a bit too aggressive in Test cricket.
"I think he is playing a bit too aggressively in Test cricket. There is a slight difference when you play Test cricket vs T20I and ODI cricket. The difference is in the ball. The red ball moves a little more than the white ball in the air and off the pitch as well. It bounces a little more too. He should keep in that in mind," Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
"Shubman Gill started off his career so well and we praised his shots. We can only hope that he gets back into his form. Hope he trains harder and does well in the future," Gavaskar further added.
In the 19 Tests, Gill has played so far, he has 994 runs under his belt at an average of 31. He also has a couple of tons to his name in the format.
After a flop show in the first Test against the Proteas, former India opener Aakash Chopra was also critical of the India opener, saying that the youngster has got to score runs in order to cement his place in the longer format.
“Gill was impressive in the series against Australia when India toured, and looked like a player for the future. He's batted well in ODIs which is his favourite format and done modestly in T20s. But in Tests, against England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, I don't think he has performed well. So, there is a question mark.
"He started off as an opener. Then he batted at No 3. Eventually he wants to bat at No. 4 is what I feel. But he needs to start scoring runs. There's a slight technical deficiency in his batting, too. He's a player who likes to play mostly with his hands and does not rely mainly on his feet. So, this approach may suit flat pitches and white ball cricket. But that does not work in Test cricket,” the former India opener explained.
South Africa now have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the 2-Test series.
The second and final game will be played in Cape Town from January 3.
English (US) ·