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India lost the first Test match against England by 28 runs in Hyderabad after a brilliant performance by England batter Ollie Pope, who scored 196 runs in the second innings, and debutant spinner Tom Hartley, who took seven wickets. The famed Indian batting line-up capitulated once again, this time in a pursuit of 231-run target on a turning track in the fourth innings.
Stylish batter Shubman Gill failed with the bat in both innings, scoring 23 and a duck at Hyderabad. The No.3 batter has been struggling in Tests in recent times and has not managed to score a single half-century since he started batting at number three. In the last 10 Test innings, Gill has only scored 160 runs, which doesn't do justice to his remarkable potential and talent.
Cricket luminaries have raised concerns about Gill's form in Tests, including former India pacer Zaheer Khan, who said that the 24-year-old batter would be under the scanner in the upcoming Test at Vizag.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen, who cited glaring problems in Gill's batting after the Indian batter's dismissal in the first innings of the Hyderabad Test, has now urged the critics to not write off the 24-year-old.
"The average is not looking healthy and those numbers are a sight for sore eyes. You don’t want to look at them. But there is a reason why he is batting at No.3 it’s because of the kind of player that he is and what he can do. So I am not too bothered about two dismissals. What I would be bothered about is his performances in the second and third Test matches," Pietersen said on JioCinema.
"I don’t think you can get rid of somebody as quickly as one test match. He will definitely play in Vizag and let’s have a look and see how he prepares for the next Test. Let’s not cast Shubman Gill aside and say he can’t play. He can play. When you talk about feelings, he gives me the feeling of sheer joy and delight when he walks out to bat. I want to watch him bat," he added.
Kevin Pietersen also spoke about how England lost the first Test in the 2012 series against India but then ended up winning the Test Series.
"Let’s see where he goes, you are allowed to miss out on a Test match. When we came here in 2012, the whole team missed out on a Test match, but we came back and won the series. Let’s not write off a player because of numbers after one Test match," Pietersen said.
The pressure is mounting on Shubman Gill and the clock is ticking for the stylish batter to solidify his place in the Indian Test side, especially with the amount of talent waiting in the wings.
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