Shubman Gill can breathe a sigh of relief. The India batter finally got some runs under his belt, notching up a much-needed half-century in the second innings of the 2nd Test against England. Walking in early to bat after James Anderson dismissed Rohit Sharma, Gill stitched an 81-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer and in the process brought up his first Test fifty in 13 innings and guided India to 130/4 at lunch on Day 2.
After India lost Rohit and first innings’ double centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal early to cop a double blow in the first half an hour, Gill and Iyer weathered the storm. Neither batter held back and played their shots to break the mental cobwebs. Gill was lucky as he survived an LBW call with the help of the DRS, and rode his luck to bring up a half-century in just 60 balls.
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Despite Gill’s flawless performance, Kevin Pietersen pointed out a potential vulnerability in the youngster’s technique. The former England captain, while acknowledging Gill’s overall skill, emphasized the absence of trigger movement in his batting. Pietersen suggested that incorporating this element into his repertoire, as seen in the techniques of some cricket legends, could further enhance Gill’s game.
“There is one technical flaw and that is that he is not busy enough before the ball is bowled. And it is an argument I have had with people around, whether you have the trigger or not, whether you get yourself into the game. I believe that in the Test match arena, bowlers are just that little bit quicker and they make you make decisions quicker. The step up is that he does need the trigger. Shubman Gill’s batting is very… I would say almost lazy in the way that he stands at the crease,” Pietersen told host broadcasters Jio Cinema during the lunch interval.
“He waits for the ball to be delivered before he makes any movement. And what I would like for him to see from him is that on the load up, just get a little bit ready. Look at all the great players. Tendulkar didn’t do it that much but he did on occasions. Ricky Ponting, they say, didn’t have a trigger but he did have a front-foot press. Even Lara. They all had a trigger and brought themselves into the game before the release.”
I want a century from him, says Kevin Pietersen
Gill’s innings could have so many implications in the ongoing Test at Visakhapatnam. With India already gaining a lead of over 250, how long Gill bats could go a long way in determining the course of the match. Trailing 0-1, India would want to avoid another batting collapse, especially with a line-up that doesn’t bat deep. So if there is anyone who can get a big hundred and dictate proceedings from here, it’s Gill.
Pietersen, who recently defended Gill’s string of failures with a very interesting trivia featuring Jacques Kallis, added that he would settle for nothing less than a century to shut his detractors.
“He has to get a 100, batting at 3, batting at 4 or 5 – you have to get a hundred. He got away with the review earlier. Joe Root stood wide; it was a normal orthodox nip to slip. I love Shubman Gill as a player. I’ve seen enough in Gill to warrant him. But he needs to get a 100 today,” added KP.
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