India’s young opening batsman Shubman Gill might haven’t scored many runs during his team’s first innings but played enough fabulous shots to impress former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha.
The right-hander scored 29 runs off 28 balls, hitting five delightful fours, at a strike rate of 103 before being caught sharply by James Anderson at mid-on off Jofra Archer delivery on day 3 of the ongoing first Test of the four-match Test series between India and England in Chennai.
The former India spinner has pointed out that Gill looked superb while batting on Sunday, but he failed to keep his drive down being a player who just “goes with the flow” and cost his wicket, though, he backed the youngster to have some big numbers in the ongoing Test series soon.
He believes that Gill is a natural hitter who starts hitting right from the start and that makes him different from others and high-rated players these days.
Ojha said on Sports Today: “That was right from the middle to the bat [Archer’s dismissal of Gill]. When we talk about Shubman Gill and the way he was batting, he looked superb. He looked as if he belonged out there. It’s only a matter of time [for a big knock] the way he was getting those runs.”
He added, “You can see the difference between him and other players. That’s the reason he’s being rated so high. But unfortunately, he just... he’s someone who goes with the flow and he was just going with the flow and a brilliant catch by a 38-year-old guy [Anderson]… the way he took that catch.”
The former spinner also commented on the dismissals of veteran batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane on Day 3 against England.
While Pujara was batting fluently before a pull shot deflected off the short-leg fielder Ollie Pope and then popped up straight to short mid-wicket fielder Rory Burns who easily took the catch to dismiss the veteran for 73.
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Rahane hit a full toss towards the cover-region, where Joe Root plucked a stunning one-handed catch off Dom Bess on Sunday.
Ojha further noted, “Pujara was unlucky, you cannot explain such dismissals. He was trying to pull the ball, it was short, it hit the short leg fielder’s shoulder and then went straight to the fielder at mid-wicket. You can’t do much about it.”
He signed off by saying, “And Ajinkya Rahane, it was a poor shot [Rahane’s dismissal]. There are some shots you can’t explain and this was one of them. Full toss, straight into the fielder’s hand, it was a brilliant take but no excuses. I think little more responsibility required there.”
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
