Ravi Shastri, who has served as the coach of the Indian men’s cricket team in the past, warned youngster Shubman Gill that Cheteshwar Pujara can make a comeback and take his spot in the side.
On the first day of the India vs England second Test at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Friday, Gill was dismissed 34 runs, the latest in a series of low scores.
In fact, the 24-year-old has not been able to reproduce his form before he was struck by dengue during the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Against England in the first Test in Hyderabad, Gill was dismissed for 23 runs in the first innings and a duck in the second.
Prior to this match, Gill had has not hit a single fifty in Test cricket since taking the number 3 position. Batting at number 3, he has scored just 189 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.62.
“It’s a fresh side, a young side. These youngsters have to prove themselves. Don’t forget, Pujara is waiting. He is grinding it out at the Ranji Trophy and is always in the radar,” Shastri said on commentary on the first day.
“It’s a Test match; you’ve got to stay out there. Otherwise, you’ll get into all sorts of problems. You’re going with those hard hands, reaching out at the ball. Especially with someone of Anderson’s class,” Shastri added.
Gill has been facing scrutiny for his loose defence in red-ball cricket as his spot in playing XI is also under threat now with players like Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan waiting for their opportunity.
As for Pujara, the veteran batter has not played for the Indian men’s Test side since the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia back in June of last year.
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