A former England cricketer has come to the support of Indian batsman Shubman Gill, who faced another setback on Day 1 of the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam.
Gill was dismissed for 34 (46) while attempting to chase a wide delivery from James Anderson, resulting in an edge straight to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes. This marked the fifth time Gill has been dismissed by Anderson in seven innings.
Despite Shubman Gill’s modest performance on Day 1, Pietersen encourages experts to be patient with the 24-year-old, emphasizing Gill’s significant talent. Pietersen supports his stance by citing the example of legendary South African cricketer Jacques Kallis, who averaged 22 with the bat after his first 10 Tests.
“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!,” Pietersen wrote in his X account.
Gill has been without a half-century in his last 12 Test innings, with his last fifty-plus score against Australia in Ahmedabad in March 2023. Initially gaining prominence during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, he showcased his talent by amassing 259 runs in six innings at an average of 60.65.
His notable contribution included a valiant 91 in the historic Gabba Test, ending Australia’s 32-year dominance at the venue. However, since his debut series, Gill’s performance has declined, accumulating only 838 runs from 34 innings at an average of 26.18, featuring two fifties and two centuries.
Gill is facing challenges while batting at the number 3 position
Since the West Indies tour in July 2023, the 24-year-old has been moved to the number 3 position but has encountered significant difficulties in establishing himself, averaging 22.30 at this batting spot.
With Cheteshwar Pujara performing well in the Ranji Trophy 2024 for Saurashtra and the potential return of Virat Kohli, Jaiswal is now facing the possibility of being excluded from the team.
On Day 1, India concluded at 336/6, with Yashasvi Jaiswal standing out as the sole standout performer, crafting an impressive innings of 179* (257), featuring 17 fours and five sixes. Following him, Gill was the team’s top scorer with 34.
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