In the first innings of the fourth and final Test of the series against Australia, India’s opening batsman Shubman Gill performed admirably. Gill contributed to an opening stand of 74 runs with Rohit Sharma and achieved fifty off 90 balls, giving India a commanding position at lunch on Day 3 of the match. Gill, who replaced struggling KL Rahul in the playing XI, performed poorly in both innings of the third test, scoring 21 and 5. Fans and even the renowned Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised the 23-year-old’s performance in Ahmedabad, where he displayed a magnificent performance.
Sunil Gavaskar extols Shubman Gill
“He has ample time. When he plays a defensive shot, the way he bends forward, even against Mitchell Starc… he displays a straight bat face and plays forward defense, it was very gratifying to observe. It demonstrates his confidence. He does not exclusively play on his backfoot. Not only does he have a good offense, but also a solid defense. And in Test cricket, you need that,” Sunil Gavaskar was reported as saying during an interview on Star Sports during lunch.
“Shuffling back and forth against speed bowlers is difficult. Yet, he chooses his lines and lengths really well.
Sunil Gavaskar remarked, “If a hitter has time and keeps his career on track, he can easily score between 8,000 and 10,000 runs in Tests.”
Gill’s innings have given India a chance to continue in the current fourth Test. India must bat themselves out of a crisis in the Test as they trail the opposition by a significant margin in the first innings. The hosts will rely on Virat Kohli (59*) and Ravindra Jadeja (16*) to go close to Australia’s first innings total of 480.