NZ v IND 2020: "He is a special talent", Manjrekar and Styris bat for Gill's inclusion in 2nd Test

Shubman Gill has been waiting in the wings for a while despite his prolific run at a level beneath.

Shubman Gill | GettyFormer cricketers turned commentators Sanjay Manjrekar and Scott Styris weighed in over the possibility of Shubman Gill making it to the Indian playing XI for the next Test against New Zealand in Christchurch, beginning March 29. 

Gill, a prodigiously talented right-hand batsman, has been waiting in the wings for a while despite scoring truckload of runs at the domestic level for Punjab and India A in all conditions. 

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His chances of finally getting the nod were boosted by the struggles of the current Indian batting line-up in Wellington where it folded twice inside four days in the visitors' disappointing ten-wicket loss. 

"I am currently, as I have been for a year or two, flying flag for Shubman Gill. I think he is a special talent who India are leaving out unnecessarily," Styris told Star Sports. "I think he could be the mainstay along with Kohli for the next 10 years for this batting line-up for India. I am not sure if he feels the same way, I would get him into the side."

The former Kiwi all-rounder put the scanner on struggling opener Prithvi Shaw, who he believes should make way for Gill at the Hagley Oval. 

"India and Australia usually bring their new players at no. 6 positions. So India have that option. They can say, ‘Look Prithvi, we know you are young, we’ll come back to you in another conditions’, maybe put Vihari up the top or put Shubman Gill at 6. Or of course, they can put him straight into the top of the order because that’s where he usually bats," he added. 

Manjrekar, however, thinks it is middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari, whose spot will be in danger if India does decide to give Gill a Test debut.

"From what I have heard Kohli say, he might back Prithvi Shaw," he said. "It might be a hard call, but it’s a two-match series, so Shubman Gill could be coming in place of Vihari, even though, it is unfair on Vihari, since he got a hundred in West Indies."

The ex-Test batsman believes India should also consider bringing in Ravindra Jadeja as replacement of Ravichandran Ashwin in a spin-swap to bolster their lower-order batting. 

"There’s also a chance... because Ashwin’s batting is going down, and Jadeja’s batting has gone up, and in this Test, the batting has failed, Jadeja might replace Ashwin in the 2nd Test," he said. 

(Inputs from Hindustan Times)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 24 Feb, 2020

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