In the form of batter Shubman Gill, Indian cricket team had shortlisted an all-format batter with a potential to break records over the years. Shockingly, Gill’s Test runs are fewer than Ravichandran Ashwin after 35 innings. Ashwin, India’s lower-order bowling all-rounder, was ahead of a highly-rated specialist batter back in the day, to the disbelief of many.
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Meant as a criticizing meme for Gill, a trending post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that Gill’s 994 runs at an average of 31.06 are less than Ashwin’s 1,006 runs at 37.25. Contrary to Gill’s batting position in the top-order, Ashwin used to bat at No. 8 and 9 in his first 35 innings in Test cricket. Coincidentally, both Ashwin and Gill scored two centuries and four half-centuries in this period.
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) December 29, 2023
Readers must note that Ashwin’s maiden Test century had come in his third innings against West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium. A couple of years later, even his second century came against the same opponent at the Eden Gardens. While the conditions were favorable and the bowling attack didn’t pose an immense threat, it was still remarkable to touch the three-figure mark twice.
Out of his four fifties, the first and fourth one had come against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground under seam-friendly conditions. The remaining two were registered during England’s tour of India 2012 at Wankhede and Eden Gardens respectively.
A bit similar to Ashwin, Gill’s maiden Test half-century had come against the Aussies in Sydney in his third innings. In the next match at the Gabba, popularly known for a historic Indian victory, he had stunned the cricketing world with a match-winning 91 (146) in a 328-run chase. After a fruitful tour of Australia, he returned home and scored another half-century against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium the following month.
If truth be told, Gill’s first three Test fifties had all come under challenging conditions against tough opponents. A brief lean patch was followed by a fourth half-century against New Zealand at the Green Park. The first of his two Test centuries came a year later. While the maiden one was against Bangladesh in extremely spinning conditions at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, the second one was against Australia on a completely flat track at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Has Shubman Gill Under Performed In Test Cricket Thus Far?
It is without an iota of doubt that Shubman Gill has under performed in Test cricket so far. In spite of a stellar start in his first four Tests, he hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations on the back of scoring 656 runs at an average of 26.24.
Despite his heroics at the Gabba, he has fallen vulnerable to the in-swinging deliveries of tried and tested campaigners such as James Anderson and Tim Southee. Gill’s weakness was also exposed against spin when bowlers like Matthew Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon got the better of him earlier this year.
Notwithstanding a sound technique, Gill being susceptible to bowlers of various type doesn’t do justice to former captain Virat Kohli being amazed by him. Most of his dismissals under such terrific bowling have just been accounted for by lack of experience. However, he does tend to swing the bat at an outward delivery and also struggles to bring it down to defend the odd-low in-swinging ball.
Having already played 19 Tests, Gill’s Test spot should’ve been questioned by now in the general run of things. Therefore, it is high time that the right-handed batter makes optimum use of his panache and flair to make his presence felt in the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town next month. The skill level is there but it’s only a matter of applying himself during moments of crisis. Gill, 24, should realize that a position in Indian Playing XI is a highly prized one that is earned after immense competition.
Gill, fondly called the Prince of Indian cricket, emerged as the highest run-scorer in Indian Premier League 2023. Rashid Khan, who will represent Gujarat Titans under Gill next year, had called him the toughest to ball to. Subsequently, he also equaled Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul’s highest opening T20I partnership alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Even with all of this, Gill is yet to stand tall on his potential of being an all-format batter. Apart from ODIs, it wouldn’t be wrong to state that he’s playing the other two formats merely on reputation. Speaking of the shortest format, barring a century against New Zealand, he has nothing much to show.
