“Let’s not cast Shubman Gill aside and say he can’t play” – Kevin Pietersen defends out-of-form batsman following bad performance in first IND-ENG Test.
Kevin Pietersen defends out-of-form batsman following bad performance in first IND-ENG Test
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen has backed Shubman Gill after his poor performance in the first Test against England in Hyderabad.
Following two disappointing Test series in the West Indies and South Africa, the 24-year-old scored 23 and 0 in the opener against England.
The emphasis on Gill grew when India suffered a shocking 28-run defeat, falling 0-1 adrift in the five-match series.
After the first Test, Pietersen told Jio Cinema that Gill will play the second Test in Vizag and that he enjoyed seeing the kid bat.
Despite his impressive white-ball performance, Gill has struggled in the red-ball format, averaging less than 30 in 21 games.
Since his spectacular 128 in the last Test against Australia in Ahmedabad last year, the Punjab-born batsman has not scored a half-century in his previous ten full innings.
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“There is a reason why he is batting at No.3” – Kevin Pietersen regarding Shubman Gill
Kevin Pietersen confessed that Shubman Gill‘s Test figures are far lower than they should be for a batter of his skill, but he remains optimistic about his future.
The teenager kicked out his Test career with a fantastic trip of Australia in 2020/21, during which India won a memorable 2-1 series.
However, his form in the format has deteriorated significantly since then, notwithstanding the occasional great performance.
Pietersen also highlighted the example of the English team’s 2012/13 trip to India, when they faltered in the first Test but recovered to win.
With Virat Kohli returning for the third Test and the in-form Rajat Patidar waiting in the wings, Gill will need to produce runs in the next match to maintain his spot in the XI.
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