On day one of the first India vs England Test in Hyderabad, there wasn’t anything that the hosts did wrong. There also wasn’t anything, that didn’t instill the confidence, that India will win the match, with ease. But one concern did arise, towards the end of the day, though. It was the prolonged batting woes of Shubman Gill in the longest-format of the game.
Despite Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal (76 no) and Rohit Sharma (24) providing a solid platform to build on, Gill looked very uncertain on the crease. He scored 14 (no) overnight from 43 deliveries, at a strike-rate of 32, when the overall run-rate of the team stood at 5.17.
Shubman Gill Struggling to Find Form
Though great in ODIs, Gill has found the going tough in Tests. He last crossed fifty-run mark 10 innings back — 128 vs Australia in Ahmedabad, in 2023. Since then his highest score has been only 29. The bigger problem is, him getting dismissed despite getting starts. In those 10 innings, he has just been dismissed twice, for single-digit scores.
A part of it could also be attributed to low confidence. He has already suffered a demotion in batting order, and lost his place to Yashavi Jaiswal, who had made the most of opportunities he has got. Playing England during a slump in form could prove worse for Gill.
Sarfaraz Khan, Devdutt Padikkal Waiting in the Wings
In the six Tests Gill has played against the English, he has only managed to score 154 runs, at an average of 19.25. His highest-score against England is only 50, which will only increase his worries. With a number of players like Sarfaraz Khan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, and Rajat Patidar knocking on the doors of the Test team, Gill will have to really come up with performances of a lifetime, to retain his spot in the team.
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