IND v ENG 2024: "There is pressure on him"- Zaheer Khan backs Shubman Gill to retain his spot despite struggles

Shubman Gill has scored 173 runs in last 11 Test innings.

Shubman Gill | Getty Images

Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan admitted that Shubman Gill will be feeling pressure due to his recent poor performances, but his spot in the Indian Test team is not in jeopardy.

Gill's form has not been great lately, and he could manage scores of only 23 and 0 during Team India’s 28-run defeat in the first Test against England in Hyderabad.

Since his last century against Australia in Ahmedabad Test in 2023, the Punjabi lad has struggled to turn his good starts into big scores.

Following his continuous poor performance with the bat, legendary cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar have expressed concerns about Gill's shot selection, while Kevin Pietersen suggested that Gill needs to improve rotating the strike and refining his technique for Test cricket.

However, Zaheer Khan pointed out that Gill didn't feel the pressure in the first inning, but he missed an opportunity to capitalize on the platform that was set in Hyderabad.

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Zaheer Khan was quoted as saying by Jio Cinema: “So, I don't think the pressure that you are talking about came to him even in the first innings in this match because of the class of batter he is, the way in which he bats, and the flow in which we know that he bats. It has been seen that that flow did not come in the first innings. There were some good platforms there.”

The former pacer added, “The platform was absolutely set for batting. So, what does the number three batsman do? He takes that platform further and tries to improve that momentum. There is pressure on him, but you have to deal with it.”

Zaheer signed off by saying, “As we say in cricket, a good player only emerges from pressure. The team will see Shubman in that way, the fans will see him in that way and the management will also see him similarly. So, he will be given the chance. I don't think there should be any question about his place in the team at this time. He will play at No.3.”

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 29 Jan, 2024

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