Former England player Kevin Pietersen has cautioned cricket fans against being too harsh on young Indian batter Shubman Gill, using the South African great Jacques Kallis as an example of his continuous struggles early in his Test career. Shubman Gill has been in the news due to his lackluster performance in the first Test in Hyderabad and the first day of the second Test in Vizag, which drew harsh criticism.
Shubman Gill seemed composed at Vizag, quite the contrast from his troubles in the first Test. But James Anderson, an England pacer, sent a misdirected drive that fell squarely into the hands of wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, ending his innings.
In the opening Vizag Test inning against England on Friday, Gill scored 34 (46). He got out against seasoned bowler James Anderson as he drove the ball away from his body. In his 22nd game, it was his 12th consecutive inning without a half-century, bringing his Test average to 29.65.
Give Shubman Gill time to find it please – Kevin Pietersen
Gill has so far amassed 57 runs in his three innings against England, including a duck, 23 at Hyderabad, and 34 at Vizag. This performance has already opened the door for many fans and commentators to demand that the player be benched for the upcoming test matches.
Shubman Gill’s early troubles as a Test player were compared to those of former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis by Kevin Pietersen in a recent post on X. Pietersen stated that he believes Gill, whom he considers to be a serious player, will overcome his early setbacks and eventually replicate Kallis’s stellar Test record.
“Kallis averaged 22 in his first 10 Tests and turned out to be arguably the greatest player to play the game. Give @ShubmanGill time to find it please. He’s a serious player! #INDvENG”, Pietersen wrote on X.
After 10 Tests, Kallis averaged 22.67, but in the next 12 games—where Gill is currently in his career—that number shot up to 36.63. The Indian, on the other hand, had an aggregate of over 50 after his first Test series and had started the season well, but since he hit his slump, the number has been progressively declining.
Shubman Gill might have one last chance to make an impression
It was fortunate for Gill that he was not the only one who missed the opportunity on Friday. He was really the day’s second-best run scorer. India scored 336/6, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat made up for 179 of those runs. with the other side, all other Indian batters received a start but wasted it with flamboyant and frequently unnecessary shots.
When Virat Kohli returns for the third Test, the Gujarat Titans skipper will face off against Rajat Patidar and Shreyas Iyer, who hit 32 (72) and 27 (59), respectively, for the one middle-order berth that would be up for grabs.
It appeared as though we may witness four or five days of activity due to the conditions of the match and the current state of the surface, meaning he would have another opportunity to leave his mark. And this time, it may be his last opportunity for a while.