Former England batter Kevin Pietersen expressed immense concern about Shubman Gill's ongoing struggles in Test cricket and suggested that India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, should take the young batter under his wing and help him eliminate flaws from his game. Despite recognising Gill's talent, Pietersen emphasised the need for the 22-year-old to sharpen his skills to avoid repetitive dismissals.
Pietersen revealed how Dravid helped him improve his game and urged the Indian coach to do the same with Gill. While Gill has showcased his prowess in white-ball formats, his Test performances have raised concerns. Heading into the series against England, Gill had an average of 32, falling short of expectations for a top-order Indian batter.
"Shubman Gill has somebody in the dressing room now who changed my game, Rahul Dravid. So I would say to Rahul Dravid and I don't know how much of the broadcast he watches, please go and spend time with Gill and do the same stuff that he talked to me about. Go and get him hitting the ball through the offside. Practicing, picking links better, rotating strikes, doing things that will make him a better player because he has a quality player in Shubman Gill in his dressing room," Pietersen said on Sports18.
Facing pressure to score runs freely, Gill took an aggressive approach, aiming for a boundary against debutant Tom Hartley. Unfortunately, he was caught at midwicket by Ben Duckett, resulting in his dismissal for a modest 23 runs off 66 deliveries.
Pietersen urged Rahul Dravid to share the same wisdom and technical insights that had transformed his own game. He emphasised the importance of playing through the offside, rotating the strike, and effectively using attacking shots. Pietersen believes that with Dravid's structured approach and focus on these aspects, Gill could reach greater heights in his career.
"And I'm not disappointed in the way that he got out. I'm just disappointed in the fact that he hasn't got that ability yet, but he's still a kid. Give him that ability. Give him that structure, and play the attacking shots that he has got in his armoury. We've seen some of those beautiful innings, but if he rotates strike and he learns from Rahul Dravid, who needs to just take him under his wing and say, young man, this is how you do it, the world is his oyster," Pietersen added.
Having scored only one century at home and two overall, Shubman Gill will be closely scrutinised in the Test series as he navigates a challenging phase of Test cricket.
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