"4 out of 10": India Legend Gives Shubman Gill "Below Average" Rating In WI Test Series
One promising talent, Shubman Gill, who was playing in a new No. 3 spot could not score big in the Test series against West Indies.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team ended the Test series against West Indies with a 1-0 positive result. After winning the first Test, rain forced the final day of the second Test to be washed out, thus forcing a draw. The series saw several good performances from Indian stars including centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With the ball, Ravichandran Ashwin shone. However one promising talent, Shubman Gill, who was playing in a new No. 3 spot could not score big. In the first Test, he was out for 6. In the second Test, he scored 10 and 29*.
Rating his performance, former India pacer Zaheer Khan, said on Jio Cinema: "I have given 4 out of 10. Just keeping that 5 as an average benchmark. And then you have below average series and then you have above average series."
"My rating would be same as Zak. This series would be below his expectations. he would not be very happy. But these are early days. I am sure he will learn. Once you have marked him as a multi-format player, you need to give him that space," Saba Karim, former BCCI selector, added.Â
Zaheer agreed that Shubman needs to reset his mindset while batting at No.3 as he has been opening before this. Â
"As you try to gauge from outside, you get the feeling that when you ask someone like Pujara not to be picked in the side, then you are looking ahead. That's a clear cut indication of that. With Shubman Gill, the fact that there was a huge opening stand, has also not helped. Because as an opener you have a pattern of opening an innings. As an opener, you look to take your time. The ball is nice and hard. There will be extra bounce. there will be a timing, tempo. When you have a big opening stand, the ball is softer. That's what is happening, He needs that time. He needs to reset his mindset on batting at no.3," Zaheer added. Â
India Cricket Team
West Indies Cricket Team