The Indian cricket team continued to showcase their batting prowess in the ongoing Test match against England, ending Day 2 with an authoritative additional 302 runs, which elevated their lead to a comfortable 175. The performance was bolstered by the impressive innings played by KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, who both crossed the eighty-run mark, with Jadeja remaining not out at stumps at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Despite the successful run accumulation, the start of Day 2 saw an early dismissal as Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a commendable eighty-run display, fell shortly after play resumed. The spotlight, however, remained fixated on Shubman Gill’s continued slump in form as he was sent back to the pavilion having scored only 23 from 66 deliveries. This recent knock further compounds Gill’s ongoing difficulty in adjusting to the No. 3 batting position in Tests.
Gill faced a challenging scenario on Day 1 when he was called to the crease following the departure of skipper Rohit Sharma. Although surviving a close leg before wicket appeal the previous day, the young batsman’s discomfort was palpable throughout his time on the pitch on Friday. While he did contribute to a 36-run third-wicket stand with Rahul, it was abundantly clear that his veteran partner was the dominant force on the ground.
In nine Test innings at No. 3, Gill has amassed a mere 189 runs, averaging a disappointing 23.62. This form is in stark contrast to his white-ball cricket performance, consequently causing his overall Test batting average to dip below 30.
The issue of Gill’s adaptation to his new role was not lost on former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, who took the opportunity to discuss the young player’s challenges with Rahul during a post-play interview. Rahul was quick to leap to his teammate’s defense, outlining that Gill had been forced to adopt a more defensive approach when he took to the field in the final session of Day 1.
“When it comes to Shubman, I think he walked in yesterday in a situation where he had to defend his way to the end of the day’s play,” Rahul remarked to Pietersen, indicating the mindset that possibly hindered Gill’s performance. “Sometimes when you get into a mindset like that, you might find it hard to break free. And I could sense even today that he wanted one shot just to break the shackles and just to make him feel good.”
Rahul further defended Gill’s attempted shift in tactics, which saw him seek a big hit only to find a fielder. He emphasized that such experiences are part of a rising cricketer’s journey, expressing confidence in Gill’s ability to learn and improve.
“Like I said, he will get better. He is a top-class cricketer. He does play spin really, really well. We’ve seen that in white-ball cricket. It’s about time that he learnt from it. I mean, you know, I’m sure he didn’t want to get himself into a situation where he had to go over the top or had to play a shot just to break free. But yeah, that happens to all batters. And I’m sure he’s already there thinking about what he’ll do in the next one,” concluded Rahul.
In related news, other noteworthy moments in the Test include a milestone big fifty from both Rahul and Jadeja, which greatly contributed to India’s commanding lead, while Hyderabad’s Tanmay Agarwal reached headlines for the fastest 300 in first-class cricket history. Additionally, an on-field mix-up led to the unfortunate run-out of R Ashwin, providing a momentary lapse in an otherwise dominant Indian performance in the first Test.
The cricketing community awaits the upcoming sessions with keen interest as players such as Shubman Gill seek to adjust and improve, potentially further cementing the dominance displayed by the Indian cricket team in this challenging format.
