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Kevin Pietersen, the former England cricketer, has called for patience from fans and critics regarding Indian batsman Shubman Gill's current form slump, emphasising the importance of giving him time to overcome this rough patch and make a strong comeback. In a recent update on X, Pietersen compared Gill's early struggles in Test cricket to those experienced by the legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, highlighting his belief in Gill's ability to overcome initial setbacks and achieve significant success in Test cricket, similar to Kallis's illustrious career.
"Kallis averaged 22 in his first 10 Tests and turned out to be arguably the greatest player to play the game…Give @ShubmanGill time to find it please…He's a serious player!" Pietersen said in a tweet.
Clock ticks for struggling Shubman Gill
Gill's performance has been a topic of widespread discussion following his less-than-stellar outings in the first Test at Hyderabad and on the opening day of the second Test at Visakhapatnam. Despite facing criticism, Gill showed signs of resilience in Visakhapatnam, although his effort was cut short by an errant shot that led to his dismissal by England's James Anderson, caught by Ben Foakes.
Throughout the series against England, Gill has accumulated a total of 57 runs across three innings - recording scores of a duck, 23 in Hyderabad, and 34 in Visakhapatnam, leading to calls for his exclusion from the lineup for subsequent matches.
The 24-year-old is currently under significant pressure to secure his position within the Indian Test team, having scored only 207 runs in his last seven Test appearances, resulting in an average of just 18.81. This slump in form has opened discussions about potential changes to the Test squad, with Cheteshwar Pujara's recent domestic performances marking him as a strong contender to replace Gill or Shreyas Iyer in the upcoming Tests.
Second innings in Vizag Test crucial for Shubman Gill
With one more chance to prove his mettle in the second innings of the Vizag Test against England, speculation abounds that this could be Gill's final opportunity to cement his place in the team. The forthcoming innings is critical, especially with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) set to announce the squads for the remainder of the Test series soon. Gill's future in the Test side hangs in the balance, underscoring the pivotal nature of his next performance.
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