‘Too aggressive in Test cricket’: Sunil Gavaskar deciphers Shubman Gill’s poor record

Just as the Indian batting was tumbling down like a house of cards in Centurion’s disastrous innings defeat to South Africa, a stat started doing rounds.

After 35 innings in Test cricket, Shubman Gill had fewer runs (994) than Ravichandran Ashwin had in the format at the same juncture – 1006. In both the innings of the Boxing Day Test, the India number three had been removed cheaply (2 and 26), adding to his poor run in the format. While 2023 saw Gill amass an average of 63.36 from 26 innings, in 10 Test cricket innings his tally remains at 28.66.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar tried to make sense of the contrasting set of performances. “I think he is playing a bit too aggressively in Test cricket. There is a slight difference when you play Test cricket vs 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 told Star Sports.

In Centurion, Gill had given away his wicket while poking a delivery too far down the leg side in the first innings, while in the second he played a picture perfect yorker from Marco Jansen all around, only to be cleaned up.

“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,” he added.

Having gotten off to an incredible start with a couple of fifties on the memorable tour of Australia in 2020/21, Gill’s numbers in red ball cricket haven’t been as surreal as his returns in white ball cricket.

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In the 29 innings since his 91 at Gabba, Gill has scored a measly 735 that includes two centuries and as many fifties.

With Cheteshwar Pujara having lost his place in the Test squad since the WTC Final earlier this year, Gill has moved from the opener’s slot and moved to number three.

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