Before the India vs. Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four stage scheduled for Sunday, September 10, Indian opener Shubman Gill expressed his admiration for Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
Gill acknowledged Babar’s exceptional batting prowess in various formats, particularly highlighting his status as one of the finest contemporary ODI players, with 19 centuries already to his name in just over a hundred matches.
Gill also disclosed that young cricketers, including himself, regard Babar highly for his remarkable consistency. During a pre-match press conference, Shubman Gill shared his thoughts about Babar Azam with reporters, saying…
“Yes, we definitely follow him. When a player is doing well, everyone watches him to find out why they are doing so well, what their speciality is. The same thing goes for Babar. He is a world-class player and we all do admire him.”
Shubman Gill’s perspective on facing left-arm fast bowlers
Much discussion has revolved around India’s top-order batsmen encountering difficulties when facing left-arm fast bowlers. This vulnerability was evident during the recent match against Pakistan in Pallekele, where they grappled against Shaheen Afridi.
However, Shubman Gill asserted that they diligently train to overcome this challenge and offered insights into why it presents a unique test, especially when facing Pakistan. He remarked:
“When you are playing at this level, you play left-armer pacers previously at some point in your career. We do not play Pakistan that much as compared to the other sides.”
“They have a quality bowling attack. When you do not face such a bowling attack frequently and are not used to it, it makes a difference.”
Pakistan has announced their playing eleven for the India match, and notably, they’ve included an additional seam bowler in Faheem Ashraf.
It seems they’ve taken lessons from their previous encounter with India in the group stage and recognized the necessity for a fourth fast bowler.
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