Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has urged Shubman Gill to tone down his aggressive approach in Test cricket following Gill’s subpar performance in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion. Gill, who managed scores of two and 26 in the SuperSport Park match, succumbed to pacers Nandre Burger and Marco Jansen in the first and second innings, contributing to India’s loss by an innings and 32 runs.
Gavaskar emphasized the necessity for Gill to adapt to the distinct demands of Test cricket compared to white-ball formats, pointing out the variations in ball behaviour.
“I think he is playing a bit too aggressively in Test cricket. There is a slight difference when you play Test cricket when compared to T20I and ODI cricket. The difference is in the ball. The red ball moves a little more than the white ball in the air and off the pitch as well. It bounces a little more too. He should keep that in mind,” Gavaskar stated on Star Sports.
Despite Gill’s notable performances in limited-overs cricket, his success in the traditional format has been limited, with only one fifty-plus score in 10 innings in 2023 – a hundred against Australia at home in March.
Gavaskar expressed optimism that Gill would rediscover his form soon: “Shubman Gill started off his career so well and we praised his shots. We can only hope that he gets back into his form. Hope he trains harder and does well in the future.”
Looking ahead, India aims to level the series in the second and final Test against South Africa at Cape Town, scheduled to begin on January 3.
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