On the second day of the first Test match, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen expressed strong criticism towards Indian batsman Shubman Gill, following his dismissal for a mere 23 runs. Pietersen pinpointed Gill’s inability to effectively rotate the strike early in his innings as a significant issue affecting his performance.
During a conversation prior to the third day's play in Hyderabad, Pietersen shared insights from his discussion with India's head coach, Rahul Dravid. Speaking on the official broadcast, Pietersen revealed that their talk centered on adopting a more assertive batting strategy in Indian conditions.
"We discussed batting in India again. Just reacquainting what the positive options are, and also you know, you sometimes get caught up in what the opposition is doing and you sometimes forget about how good you are," Pietersen said o Sports18.
"In life, you have got to trust what you do, it was nice to spend time with someone who was so good and helped me in my career. Yesterday I was critical of Gill and I was praising KL Rahul and its just about understanding players and their ability. It is always nice to speak to somebody of the stature and is doing the so well for team India," he further added.
Gill, who has been playing at the crucial No. 3 spot in the Indian Test team, was dismissed after scoring 23 runs in an attempt to accelerate his scoring rate. Throughout his 66-ball stay at the crease, Gill appeared hesitant and struggled to maintain a steady flow of runs. Pietersen emphasised the importance for Gill to learn the art of rotating the strike more efficiently.
Gill’s transition to the No. 3 position has been challenging, as evidenced by his recent string of low scores. He has yet to score a half-century in this batting slot, despite having played 9 innings. This pattern of performance has drawn attention and critique, highlighting the need for Gill to adapt and refine his approach at the crease, especially in the critical No. 3 role.
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