Young talent Shubman Gill faced another disappointment at No. 3 on Day 2 of the first Test between India and England in Hyderabad on January 25. The highly-touted batter was swiftly dismissed for a mere 23 runs by debutant spinner Tom Hartley in front of a lively crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Gill struggled to display any significant intent during his 66-ball stint in the middle, adding just 9 runs to his overnight score. His difficulties in rotating the strike played into the hands of Ben Stokes and the England team. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen consistently pointed out Gill's lack of intent, especially in contrast to his batting partner KL Rahul, who, coming in at no. 4 after Yashasvi Jaiswal's dismissal for 80, exhibited a more proactive approach in rotating the strike.
The 24-year-old found himself in a tight spot by slowing down the scoring rate. When attempting a release shot against debutant Hartley in the 35th over, the India No. 3 faced dismissal as he struck the ball directly into the hands of Ben Duckett at mid-wicket.
Gill's decision to play that particular shot was suboptimal, reflecting an attempt to break free after displaying hesitancy against spin in the earlier part of the first Test.
"He has done all the hard work, Shubman Gill and then you see a shot like that. Very, very disappointing. What kind of a shot was he look to play? One can understand if he was looking to play it in the air," Sunil Gavaskar, who was on air, said, expressing his frustration at Gill's shot.
The Indian cricket star hasn't fully acclimated to the No. 3 position, a role he volunteered for after Yashasvi Jaiswal's debut in the West Indies last year. Gill has tallied a modest 189 runs in 9 innings at an average of 23.62 when batting at No. 3 in Test matches for India, with a highest score of 47.
SHASTRI LAUDS STOKES'S CAPTAINCY
Former captain Ravi Shastri, who was recently honored with the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award, commended Ben Stokes for standing by Tom Hartley despite the spinner's challenging performance on Thursday.
On the opening day of the Test, Hartley had a tough outing, conceding at over 5 runs as Yashasvi Jaiswal dominated. Nevertheless, the left-arm pacer received support from the captain, and he felt a sense of relief after Shubman Gill's dismissal.
"Credit to Ben Stokes. He has shown faith in Hartley. A lot of captains might have wanted to make a change, but he has stuck by him," Shastri said.
Earlier, on Day 1, India dismissed England for 246, and on the following morning of Day 2, the hosts surpassed the 150-run mark despite the early loss of Jaiswal. Rahul displayed fluent batting after coming in at No. 4.
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